


MADAME HYDRA

by ElodieCarterERogers



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, FitzSimmons - Freeform, Inhumans (Marvel), Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Non-Explicit Sex, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27284941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElodieCarterERogers/pseuds/ElodieCarterERogers
Summary: Doctor Leopold Fitz is looking for a new science job and he chose HYDRA. When the new Madame HYDRA, as smart and manipulate as him, finally gives him the opportunity to work on her important and attractive project about the Inhumans, things starts to get complicated for both of them and around them...
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, fitzsimmons
Comments: 46
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote my own story about Jemma as Madame Hydra and Fitz as The Doctor. It's the first time I wrote all alone a fanfic in English but I wrote it first in French a while ago, based on few stories ideas I got with a co-worker years ago. Then, I translated it into English to let you the possibility to read it. My favorite British Cupcake Hannah corrected each chapter and gave me her thoughts about the story. I hope you're gonna let me know your own thoughts and opinions about each chapter and the whole story in general.

Dr Leopold Fitz was waiting impatiently for the Director of HYDRA to arrive.

The idea came from his father, Alistair. Integrate HYDRA and work for them rather than working for Centipede. Alistair couldn't accept that his son, Leopold, should work for them and wanted him to become a powerful person instead.

Alistair had jumped at the opportunity thanks to his close friends: HYDRA was looking for new scientists. The best ones, and Leopold Fitz considered himself as a genius. Even if no one wanted to recognize it, especially not Alistair, Leo was ready to use his best assets to get recruited.

That’s why he was sitting in the chair in front of the Director’s desk, waiting for more than twenty minutes and getting more annoyed every second. This Old Snake Peggy Carter took pleasure in keeping him waiting. 

Leo knew nothing about her except her famous name and the reputation she had in the rest of the world. He only had seen her once or twice before: a dark-haired woman with black eyes like the abyss, and her face rather well preserved by age. She must fascinate many men (like his father), and Leo wondered for a moment if she had ever been married. Probably not. Who would want to be inferior to such a powerful woman like her? He would never want a woman to give him orders. His father had repeated it enough all his life... ‘ _Women had no power over men’_ according to Alistair Fitz.

Leo sat up in his chair and sighed, crossing his arms. His patience was starting to wear thin. He wanted to get up and leave. Maybe he could talk with Carter’s secretary, a thirty-year-old woman with long red hair. She was pretty but not enough to catch his attention. Besides, no woman interested him and he hadn’t dated many women in his life. His longest relationship had lasted two days and it was at the Academy. Ruby Hale was the worst girlfriend ever. It has been ten years since he had dated a girl and he thought that every woman was the same: annoying, superficial, disrespectful, uninteresting.

Annoyed, Leo stood up and paced around the room. The interior was very tidy, like a classic black and white chess game, accented with some red color reminding bravery or perhaps, the bloody side of HYDRA. The sofa and the small glass table, however, seemed like a real customer trap. The white desk was overflowing with administrative paperwork. The kind of office he would like to work in.

Thirty minutes since the interview should have started.

 _‘That old goat is going to drive me crazy’_ , Leo thought.

He turned to the door, ready to leave, but restrained himself. He had to stay calm.

 _‘No need to make another scandal. Alistair won’t tolerate it_.’

Resigned but annoyed, Leo went to sit down again, arms and legs crossed.

Someone finally entered the office.

Jemma Simmons, in her dark suit, walked into her office. Looking up, she noticed the back of a man's black suit and sighed.

_‘The interview. I had completely forgotten it. Ugh, as if I have time to waste with incompetents!’_

She walked to her desk and stopped next to Leo who gave her a reproachful look.

Her beauty literally took his breath away. Dark-eyed brunette, she had pulled her hair back into a tight bun that gave her a stern face, dotted with small constellations of freckles that contrasted with the paleness of her skin. Her full, glossy pink lips were slightly swollen. ‘ _Divinely beautiful_.’ Never before had Leo had the opportunity to see such a perfect human being. Perfect might not have been the right word, but in his mind only that word seemed to sparkle like a diamond.

His gaze ran to the rest of her body: first to the birth of her chest, which a black and purple lace blouse discreetly hid. He was completely hypnotized by this milky skin that he already wanted to touch. He already felt the tips of his fingers prick him. He could even smell her scent from where he was. Sweet, intoxicating and tempting.

_‘Bloody Hell, who was this divine creature?!’_

“Please excuse my delay”, she said. “Are you here for the interview, sir...?”

Leo was completely electrified by her British accent that came straight from the north of England. His heart skipped a beat, his mouth went dry, his mind stopped thinking.

Jemma waited for him to answer her, troubled by his electric blue gaze. This man must have been the same age as her. She scanned the rest of his face with a quick glance: While his light brown hair was slicked to the side in Clark Gable fashion, his neatly trimmed multi-day beard made him look modern. His small, fine lips were pink and perfect. Jemma thought he would kiss amazingly. His square jaw formed a perfect angle. The features of his face were just beautiful. He was outrageously handsome and attractive. A tempting angel came straight to steal her heart. She could feel it vibrating in her chest like no one had ever made it before. Not even William.

The beauty of this man erased all the Williams of this world.

Jemma tried to calm down.

“Remind me of your name.”

Leo jumped up from his chair, cleared his throat.

“Doctor Leopold Fitz,” he replied, his mouth dry. “But I don’t understand. I was supposed to get an interview with the Director.”

 _‘A Scot!’_ She hadn't heard one for a long time. And his one was really sexy.

Jemma gave him a smirk and went to sit at her desk.

“I'm the Director”, she said, amused.

Leo gave her a confused, worried look.

“My grandmother decided it was time for her to take a vacation,” Jemma replied. “I am running HYDRA now.”

Leo swallowed the bile in his throat. That changed everything. This woman was Peggy Carter's granddaughter. Who would have believed it? This Snake had had a child and a grandchild.

“Doctor?” Jemma resumed, after a silence. “What makes you claim to be a "Doctor", Mr. Fitz?”

Leo didn't take his eyes off the young woman's dark eyes. If this was a test, he had already won.

“My PhD in engineering,” he replied with a hint of pride.

“A PhD? Really? It’s pretty normal here to have one. You don't work at HYDRA without having one. What do you have more than another person?”

Leo felt the contempt in her British accent and he felt his anger rising.

“My other skills,” Leo said back. “They are written in my resume. You would know them if you had read it.”

Jemma was impressed by his biting tone but didn't show him. Few people dared talk to her that way, even though she was Peggy Carter's granddaughter. Still, she liked his reaction. At least he wasn't content with just stammering. This man attracted her curiosity.

“Your resume?” Jemma replied with a sarcastic voice. “Mr. Fitz, do you think I have time to read the resume of everyone who applies to work at HYDRA?”

The fact that she insisted heavily on the "Mister Fitz" annoyed Leo. But he preferred to ignore it now and focused on his interview. If he were taken on, he would have more opportunities to remind her of that brash tone she had with him today.

Jemma settled down comfortably in her chair, crossed her legs, and watched him with her Director eyes.

“You think you’re qualified to work at HYDRA?” she continued. “So, tell me about your talents? As I haven't read your resume, you'll let me know what I don't know about you. I’m listening.”

She smirked at him and he hated her for that.

This bitch could be the most beautiful creature in this world; if he could strangle her right now, he wouldn't hesitate.

Leo came over and sat down and did what he did best after science: explain what he was capable of.

“I went to Oxford and got my PhD when I was 17. I did my engineering internships at the Stark Academy for four...

“The Stark Academy?” Jemma cut him off. “Why not HYDRA?”

It was more a question to unsettle him than to make fun of him. The Stark Academy had always been a dream to her, and she had always regretted that she had never been able to attend there. Peggy hadn't put up with it. HYDRA was the only education she was to receive.

“I couldn't afford it,” Leo replied quickly.

Needless to say, his father had strictly forbidden him to use his money to pay for his studies. If he wanted to join the biggest schools, he should do it himself.

“Or skills”, Jemma said sarcastically.

Leo glared at her, pursed his lips. It was clear that nothing would work with her. This bitch was doing her best to despise him and he meant to take her at her own game.

“What do you know about science?” he asked.

“Everything to know,” Jemma replied with a smile. “Probably my two PhDs in biotechnology. Do you know what biotechnology is, Mr. Fitz?”

Leo clenched his fists violently under the desk, threw a look of hatred at Jemma. Then without delay, he jumped up. He had to get out before he committed a murder.

Jemma was somewhat confused by his reaction. She watched him walk straight for the exit. It was true, she had been hard on him, and contemptuous. But wasn't that what Peggy had ordered her to be? To be superior to everyone, not impressed by talents other than her own. To be the best at all costs?

Yet Jemma knew that this guy potentially had hidden talents. A doctorate in engineering was no big deal, but having studied at the Stark Academy, she couldn't miss it. He could teach her loads of new engineering things that only Stark students could know. Secrets revealed. Learn more from it. Her dream could finally have a real purpose. It could be that goal. And they probably had things in common. She couldn't miss an opportunity like this and a genius like him.

It was unexpected but too alluring to dismiss the opportunity.

“Doctor Fitz”, she said, “wait.”

Leo stopped before opening the door. He turned his head and his dark gaze met the dark eyes of the young Director.

“What was your thesis topic at the Stark Academy?”

“The experimental study of dielectric polarization.”

Jemma gave him a smile. That was their common point. At HYDRA Academy, Jemma wrote her thesis on the same subject. If it was just a coincidence, Jemma found it very interesting.

“Good”, she sighed, standing up. “We need staff. I imagine that by hiring you, I won’t be disappointed. But before you’re fully integrated into HYDRA laboratories, I want to warn you. You make just one mistake, and you’ll not just get fired.”

Leo had relaxed the very moment she told him that he was now part of HYDRA. That was all he wanted. For a few minutes, he had feared having to go back and explain to his father why HYDRA had not wanted him. Luck had just smiled on him. This frozen hearted Princess had just given him the chance to claim revenge.

“When can I start?” Leo replied, ignoring her threats.

“Immediately.”

Jemma walked past him to open the door, and he stepped back. His gaze couldn't help but admire the curve of her body. He quickly dismissed the sight. The only goal now was to fit in.

“Of course,” Jemma said turning to him, “what you’re going to do in this lab will have to stay confidential, am I clear?”

“Absolutely, Madame.”

Jemma stopped a few feet from her secretary's desk.

“Lorelei. Escort Doctor Fitz to Doctor Radcliffe.” Then she turned to Leo. “I wish you good luck. Hail Hydra!”

Leo didn't answer. Jemma was surprised and glanced at him, waiting for him to greet her.

“Hail Hydra,” he mumbled, with a disgusted grimace.

Then he followed the secretary with the long red hair.

In the elevator, Lorelei leaned forward to press the button, then gave him a huge smile.

“It's good that she recruited you,” she said with a smirk. “And that you’re young is a plus. It will change all those old perverts.”

Leo turned his head towards her without a smile.

“How long have you been working here?” he asked.

“It'll be two years in a month,” Lorelei replied with a smile.

“And that gives you the right to insult the staff?”

Lorelei gave him a confused look, then looked away.

They were silent until the elevator doors opened to face a large hallway.

“Doctor Radcliffe's office is at the end of the corridor on the right,” Lorelei said.

Leo didn't even answer her and walked down the hall. He was ready to start his journey.

* * *

In her office, Jemma sat down, thoughtful. This man had troubled her to the depths of her soul. His gentle face, his electric gaze, his accent. How could she not have met him before? Had he never been to a forum? A scientific congress? A mystery hung over him and she was determined to find it.

She smiled at the idea and searched the tall pile of files for Leopold Fitz's resume. The name seemed to ring in her ear. Leopold sounded like an old name, she didn't like it that much, but Leo had that bewitching charm. But the word Fitz rolled on her tongue sensually. _Fitz_.

When she found Fitz's file and opened it, she discovered a small picture of him that she couldn't help but admire. He looked younger than today, his hair was longer and curlier and his face hairless, but his beauty had only grown.

_‘Damn, how handsome he is. And smart!’_

She sighed at this photograph and snapped the file shut, which she then put away in her drawer. She wanted him on her team, not just for his looks but also for his intelligence. She wanted everything from him. And for the first time, she knew someone else could make her weak. And she was determined never to let him go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /!\ Some words and lines can be explicit /!\

When Leo entered the lab, he was somewhat disappointed. He felt like he had jumped into the past, in a 90s laboratory where modern technology was just starting to develop. Ugh, even the computer was still an old Windows 98! How it was possible that HYDRA would have such rotten laboratories?

“Who are you?”

Leo turned around and faced a man in his fifties with greying hair, dressed in an old-fashioned lab coat.

“I'm Dr. Leopold Fitz, the new...”

“Intern, yes”, the man cut him off as he walked towards his desk. “Finally. Here, class these files in an alphabetical order.”

Leo glanced at him a confused look.

“Excuse me?”

“Ugh. Listen to me, boy. I don't have time to repeat things twice. You do what I ask and fast!”

Radcliffe walked up to a table and put on his powdery gloves. Leo remained frozen for a few minutes, unable to believe what was going on.

_‘An Intern?! Who the hell does he think I am?’_

Angry, Leo left the lab to quickly cross the corridor. Behind him, he heard Radcliffe shout his name but ignored him. The elevator doors opened immediately and he punched the top-floor button with his fist.

_‘An intern?! This bitch is making fun of me!’_

The elevator took so long to climb to the top-floor that every time it stopped to let someone in or down, Leo's anger continued to grow.

He was going to show her who Leopold Fitz was. He could let his anger pass once, but now, it was enough. This was the last time she would make fun of him.

When the elevator finally stopped on the top-floor, Leo rushed straight to the Director's office. He ignored Lorelei’s words, saying that Madame HYDRA was busy, and ran across the hallway. Without waiting for permission, he entered Madame HYDRA’s office, furious.

“A fucking intern?!”

Jemma raised her head to the person who had just entered the office like a hurricane. She saw Fitz approaching her desk, his face red with anger, his eyes flashing with murder, his accent more pronounced than usual...

“What's wrong with you?” she shouted, with her Director’s voice. “I didn't give you permission to come in!”

“I don't give a shit!” shouted Fitz back, pointing a finger to her. “An intern? Do you really think I'm a jerk?”

Jemma smiled calmly and crossed her legs, looking at Fitz's gaze.

“I said we needed staff. You agreed to work here. What’s the matter?”

“You think I came here begging for a job to be this old wanker's intern?” shouted Leo angrily.

“What were you hoping for, Leopold? We all start pretty low level.” 

The fact that she called him by his first name the way that his father did made Leo furious. If he didn't calm down right away, he was going to kill her, literally.

“I won’t be a fucking intern! Understood?”, Leo yelled, slamming his hands on the desk, his body leaning towards Madame HYDRA.

She saw his ocean blue gaze turn into a cyclone; however, she kept her face calm. Yes, he was a little scary, but what did she have to fear? She was Madame HYDRA, more powerful than anyone.

“Well, you're going to settle for being an intern, Leopold,” she replied calmly with a smile. “That's all HYDRA has to offer you.”

 _‘I'm going to kill her,’_ Leo thought. His fingers started to dance; his breathing accelerated.

Then another idea quickly sprouted in his head. If she wanted to play, he was going to play, too. Leo's gaze softened, but his blue eyes stayed cold. He straightened up, flattened his hair, and adjusted his suit jacket.

“Well”, he said with a calm voice. “As HYDRA is not able to recognize a genius, perhaps Centipede will instead.” 

After those last words, Leo turned just in time to see Jemma's smile fade and her face became whiter than it already was. He walked towards the exit as Jemma jumped up from her chair.

“Wait a minute!”

Leo let a victorious smile appear on his lips. The idea was great and this Snake had fallen into his trap. To continue playing with her, Leo continued to walk towards the exit, pretending not to have heard her.

“Alright! What do you want?” Jemma asked, upset. She walked into the middle of the room, crossing her arms.

Leo perceived a slight panicked intonation in her British accent. He turned to her with a cold and dismissive look. 

“To work for Centipede”, he answered. “I know I wouldn't be an intern with them. They’ve said they need talent, so I’ll offer mine.”

Jemma quickly bit her lip, and Leo noticed it. Finally, this bitch showed some of her weaknesses, and Leo wanted to play a little more.

“I'm willing to let you work with Dr. Radcliffe on his projects”, Jemma replied, unhappy.

“No, no, no. I want to work on _my_ projects in _my_ lab.”

Jemma stared at him for a long time. She knew what HYDRA scientists were capable of, and to be honest, she had not fired them yet because she was not sure she could find others good enough to keep HYDRA's scientific field alive. All of them had been recruited by Peggy, who knew absolutely anything about science. But Dr. Fitz would be her first talented recruit and she would not let him go.

Now that she could hardly work alone in her own laboratory, perhaps she could entrust this task to Fitz. She felt that he had an extraordinarily genius mind: having been to the Stark Academy gave him exceptional abilities already. And she felt that they were alike. Lovers of science and perfection. Perhaps he could turn HYDRA into a powerful scientific state rather than a political one? 

“Good”, Jemma finally announced with a slight smile.

Leo remained stoic, without a smile or gratitude. He was still on his guard. She had already tricked him once, there was no way he would be fooled a second time.

“Don't fool me again...”, Fitz said, threatening.

“Come on, Dr. Fitz,” Jemma said with another smirk. “You passed the test, no need for us to continue this little game.”

This time, Fitz really was surprised. His face froze for a few seconds, hesitant, which amused Jemma, admitting for herself how very cute he was.

“A test?” Leo repeated.

“Yes”, Jemma approved. She went to the minibar, where she served them two cups of tea. “Don't you think I was going to let you work at HYDRA without testing you? A cup of tea? It’s lemon.”

She handed him a hot cup. Leo did not move from where he was, looking at Madame HYDRA, waiting for her to say more.

“I was testing your determination, Dr. Fitz,” Jemma continued, taking a sip. “Would you have been ready to become the slave of an old scientist or the rebel who defends his will to change the world?”

A little smile appeared on the corner of Leo’s lips and he put both hands on his hips, nodding.

“I’ve got to admit it was brilliant,” he said sincerely.

“It's very nice of you to recognize it, Doctor”, Jemma said with a chuckle.

“You're doing this with all your new recruits?”

“Oh, no. Just with you, Doctor. You've been my guinea pig.”

Leo gave her an almost amused look. He was relaxed now, sure that she would not try to fool him again with another treacherous trick. And now that his anger disappeared, he gave her a deep look.

His gaze lingered first on her beautiful face, full of constellation freckles, then his eyes fell on her sensual red lips. She was smirking, and this smirk warmed him more than he thought. His gaze continued down the rest of her body, stopping for a moment on her hips. For a second, he imagined holding them in his hands, his own body close to hers… Yes, physically, Jemma Simmons had everything to make people fall in love with her. He could not resist to look at this perfection standing in front of him. Powerful, beautiful, smart woman… How he could ignore her?

His gaze troubled Jemma once again, and she clung to her cup of tea to stop herself from flinching. His piercing, destructive blue eyes ignited her like a sheet of paper, burning her soul. If he continued to observe her in this way, silent in his contemplation, she really would end up ablaze before him.

“Well”, she said, turning away from him to take a deep breath. “It's time for you to get to work.”

Jemma walked to her desk, took something from her drawer and handed it to Fitz.

“Your badge and keys. You must also let me know of your projects and if you make purchases, I must know it before. Is that clear?”

“Clear”, Fitz said, walking towards her to pick up his badge and keys.

Their fingers grazed and an electric shock ran to their spine when they touched each other. Fitz hurried to step back; Jemma looked away. The conversation seemed to be over. Leo turned to leave the office; Jemma went to sit down at her desk. Neither allowed themselves to look at each other one last time.

* * *

In the evening, as she was leaving HYDRA to go home, Jemma received a new text.

“I'm back in the US. Coming to yours in 20min...”

It was William. He had just returned from his mission in Brazil, where Jemma had sent him two weeks ago. William was a pilot and passed his life in the air. When he was on earth, he spent his time watching soccer or with Jemma - when it was Jemma, of course. Jemma and Will had met in a plane a few years ago. Will had been Peggy's personal pilot for her business trips around the world, and Jemma had fallen for the older man. Whatever it was, she had found something to entertain herself.

The advantage with Will was that he didn't care about what she did or what she knew how to do. The only thing Will was interested in was Jemma. Or rather, her body... Jemma and Will did not have a proper loving relationship. And it was enough for Jemma. Love and family life were not her priority- and certainly not with Will. Jemma didn't love Will; she only considered him a "Sex Friend" who filled her long, monotonous, and lonely evenings. And she was absolutely okay with this.

Jemma went to open the door after the bell rang again. Will leant nonchalantly against the wall, wearing his pilot's jacket and black pants that were too big for him. He had not even shaved, his hair dry, and the smell of sweat and cold cigarettes reached her nose… It annoyed Jemma more than usual. She had not expected to find him like this, so neglected.

“Hi baby,” Will said as he entered. 

He leaned over to kiss her and Jemma was attacked by the smell of whisky and cigarettes.

“Couldn't you have taken a shower?” Jemma asked as they entered the large living room.

“I came directly from the airport”, Will said, taking off his jacket. “In a bad mood again?”

Jemma did not answer and went straight to her room. Will was more annoying than usual tonight. She entered her room, threw her slippers off, and walked towards the bed, thinking. Her gaze fell on the picture of her and her parents on the nightstand. The only one they took before they died. The photograph had been taken in Perthshire, Scotland, near a small cottage where they had been staying during the summer. Jemma loved this place. And because of it, she began to think about Fitz. Fitz represented Scotland and this quiet place in Perthshire. For a second, she thought about her and Fitz, hugging each other in front of the little river... 

_Fitz_. His name rang in her head like an unforgettable song. She would have given anything to have Fitz with her tonight rather than Will. Fitz would probably tell her about Scotland, describing everything he knew about science with his attractive Scottish accent, and she would have listened to him with admiration. 

A smile appeared on her lips. _Fitz._ What he was doing now? Did he have someone? Was he going to give his body to another woman? Suddenly, Jemma felt a powerful jealousy run through her body, thinking about all the women he could meet, talk to, look at and touch. She wanted to be the woman in his arms, she wanted him to be here with her. So, she thought that Fitz was with her tonight. He entered slowly in her room, walked up to her, looking at her with his electric gaze, a smile on his lips, his hands ready to caress her.

This vision disappeared quickly.

Will entered, already undressed, only wearing his boxers. When he walked up to her with a lustful look and clutched Jemma's bathrobe, she recoiled from him quickly with a sigh.

“Not tonight”, she said, upset. “I have my period.”

“Couldn't you have said that earlier?” Will grumbled with a deep sigh. “Never mind, I'm tired, anyway.”

Jemma took a deep breath and sighed. She had no desire for Will to touch her tonight. Knowing he had to sleep next to her in bed was already irritating. She couldn't wait for tomorrow and to see Fitz again.

Will lay down next to her and turned his back. Jemma lay down too, away from him, and fell asleep dreaming about Fitz.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Leo went to HYDRA, excited. He couldn't wait to get started on his own projects. In his modern laboratory in which he was now to work in, Leo had begun to list all the projects he could think of. And he already had about ten. The first of them would be a weapon.

The day before, he had wanted to call his father to tell him that he was now a member of HYDRA, but Leo had remembered how Alistair had despised him the last time they had talked. Even though he wanted to prove to his father that he had succeeded, Leo wanted to take his time. He would tell him when he had achieved a brilliant success.

Now, he could create his own projects and bring them to life, which he had never been able to do. His father had given him two months to get a job; he had got it in just one day. And Leo was ready to show his genius to the world.

He walked to his desk and turned on his computer. With a gesture, he patted the little monkey that we took everywhere on the head. He had had it for years and it was his lucky charm.

The computer screen lit up with the HYDRA logo and Leo quickly entered his password, before taking notes and getting to work. The more he focused, the more he could see his first project come to life. Concentrating, he forgot everything else and dedicated himself to his work.

Jemma entered the lab, noticing that Fitz was already there. Her heart accelerated in her chest and her stomach twisted a little. A smile stretched over her lips as she watched him working, leaning over his computer, so focused that he didn’t even hear her enter. From where she stood, she had a beautiful view. Her gaze slipped on Fitz; his back was so well-formed in his white shirt. She wanted to put her hands in his curly hair. His neck was so attractive that she felt her tongue hitting her teeth in her mouth. She desperately wanted to kiss it. Her eyes looked down, focusing on his body, slim but powerful. Similarly, Fitz seemed to be a physically helpless little lion cub capable of roaring and frightening its prey if it was necessary. He had exceptional charisma that all women could not ignore. Plus, his smart brain seemed to merge with the speed of his hands on the computer keyboard. For a second, Jemma felt she was seeing herself.

“I see you’re quick to start your work,” she finally said.

Her irresistible Yorkshire voice startled Leo and he turned sharply to Madame Hydra.

“I've wasted enough time with your tests,” Leo replied.

He quickly stared at Jemma's body. She wore a green silk dress that revealed her pale arms. This time she had let her long auburn hair fall in cascades on her shoulders and Leo felt something twist in his stomach. She was more beautiful with her hair down than tied up. She also wore red lipstick that made Leo want to kiss her lips immediately. He looked down, trying to calm his feelings, but it only got worse when his eyes fell on Jemma's beautifully bare, pale legs. She almost took his breath away.

He turned to his computer quickly. _‘For God's sake, Leo! Calm down,’_ he thought, closing his eyes.

Jemma smiled. She had noticed Fitz's look and liked it. He was not oblivious to her. 

“What are you working on?” she asked nonchalantly as she approached the office.

“A personal project”, Leo replied, keeping his eyes on the screen.

“If I remember correctly, I told you that I would get a say in your work.”

Leo sighed and then strayed a little so she could see the screen. Jemma observed the 3D design of a sniper rifle.

“Sniper rifles?” she said, unimpressed. “You know we can get any weapons we want, Doctor?”

“It's not just a sniper rifle!” Leo said, upset. “It's an I.C.E.R. Incapacitating Cartridge Emitting Railguns. It's a prototype tranquilizer weapon.”

“I.C.E.R.?” Jemma repeated, looking at him.

“At first, I called it the Night-Night Gun, but I.C.E.R. sounds better.”

“And what makes it better than the current weapons?”

“This will not just be used to kill but to tranquilize the enemy”, Leo explained with a hint of pride.

Jemma couldn't help but smile, amused. He looked like a child with his toys.

“But we do care about killing, Doctor”, Jemma said, putting her hands on her hip. “Your weapon is absolutely not interesting.”

Leo's gaze darkened when he turned to her.

“I'm not saying you're going to have to use it every day”, he said gruffly, “but instead of sticking a bullet into someone, you could capture them for information; the I.C.E.R. will immobilize them without the slightest effort.”

Jemma looked at Fitz for a few seconds before going back to the screen. The idea was very interesting to be honest. Rather than bringing the subversives back in a dismal state because they were riddled with bullets or accidentally killed, this weapon would effectively capture enemies without the risk.

Yes, her personal team could use these weapons to capture the Inhumans she was trying to find.

“And what substance do you use to neutralize them?” Jemma asked.

“I'm still thinking about it”, Leo admitted. “Why not electric bullets, similar to the effectiveness of tasers, or sleeping pills…?”

He turned to the screen, thinking. Jemma loved that view.

“Have you ever thought about dendrotoxin?” she asked.

Fitz turned to her, frowning.

“It’s a neurotoxin found in mamba snakes. Their venom paralyzes the nervous and skeletal system if it is not treated in time.”

“I see you know your science lessons”, Jemma laughed. “If you combine dendrotoxin with symptomatic treatment, your weapon will become a miracle, Dr. Fitz.”

Leo turned to her a second time, observing her at length. He drowned in Jemma's dark eyes as he reflected on her brilliant idea. A neurotoxin, why he didn't think about it earlier? It was the biological element that he lacked. And Jemma had just given him the idea. It was as if their brains functioned as one. The left hemisphere for engineering, the right hemisphere for biology.

A broad smile spread across Fitz's lips. Jemma looked at them for a long time with envy.

“I have to get back to work,” Leo said, already focused again.

“Of course. Don't hesitate to design other weapons with this idea. We're going to need them.”

She turned on her heel and was about to leave the laboratory when she stopped one last time to observe Fitz, focused on his work. Maybe she could work with him? On his brilliant projects? Their two brains working in harmony as one. Jemma smiled at the idea and promised herself she’d talk to Fitz about it when time came. For now, she had to deal with another important matter.

The Inhumans’ case.


	4. Chapter 4

A week had passed since Leo arrived at HYDRA. He had managed to integrate himself and get used to the pace of the organization, working on the I.C.E.R. weapons. The dendrotoxin worked perfectly. Leo had already created a dozen weapons, two sniper rifles and was finishing a machine gun. Never before he had been able to show how productive and fast, he was. Working at HYDRA had finally given him the opportunity to show what he was capable of doing.

However, he had not seen Jemma since their last conversation. Not once, and if he thought he didn't care, he realized instead that he desperately needed to show his positive results. He regretted not being able to tell her how well her idea with neurotoxic worked and how it had produced countless more ideas in his head.

Lorelei had told him that Jemma was absent most of the week because of many important appointments outside the city. When she was at HYDRA, she was in meetings and unreachable by anyone except her secretary. Leo was a little disappointed, he would have liked Jemma to take some of her time to come and see his work. Nevertheless, it allowed him to stay focused. And he was determined to move up the ladder.

* * *

The next day, Jemma eagerly awaited the end of the Visio conference with Bakshi. Since 9 a.m. that morning, she’d been discussing the upcoming events for the 50th anniversary of the creation of HYDRA, and it was not over yet. If it had been up to her, a cocktail party would have been enough, but Peggy would certainly not agree. That was why Jemma had entrusted Bakshi with the organization of the ceremony. And for an hour and a half now, Bakshi was boring her with the proposals of various aperitifs that would be offered during the party.

Jemma held back a sigh. Bakshi was good, but this moron would not hesitate to complain about her behaviour - especially to Peggy- if she dared to shut him down. And Jemma really didn't need that right now. What she wanted were results on her current project. And to see Fitz.

She’d missed him all week. She had realized it one evening on her way home after a long day of appointments. She was discussing the weapons Fitz had created for her Inhumans project with William, and he had completely ignored her and Fitz's work all evening. What he wanted was Jemma, in her bed. Jemma had had to restrain herself from snapping his neck. So, she had only done one thing; think about Fitz. Again, and again, all evening, all night.

And that's what she was doing again when Bakshi brought her back to reality.

“Yes, Mr. Bakshi, do that,” she said with a false smile.

“But it risks disturbing the guests”, Bakshi retorted with a frown.

Jemma had had enough. She wanted to see Fitz. _Now_.

“Listen, Mr. Bakshi, I have an important call to take. Do what you want. If you have any questions, consult my secretary.”

“But...”

“Goodbye, Mr. Bakshi!” she said, by cutting off the conversation.

Her gaze fell on the clock. It was just past 11 o'clock. Perhaps she could invite Fitz to lunch with her and tell him about the promotion he was going to receive. She could not wait to see his face when he found out.

“Lorelei?” she called, pressing the intercom button on her desk. “Tell Dr. Fitz to come to my office immediately. And order two takeaway meals at Savannah's for lunch.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Jemma smiled, satisfied. She busied herself by signing the final few documents until Fitz arrived.

Leo walked slowly towards the Director's office. It was strange that she asked him to come when it was lunchtime soon. Leo thought she was using this short space of time for him to tell her about his project. To be honest, he wanted to see her too and tell her that he had just finished the project and was already planning another one.

Leo stopped for a moment before knocking, readjusting his jacket, and flattening his hair. For a moment, he imagined Jemma waiting impatiently for him in her office, her wonderful smile delighted to see him. He chased away this idea and knocked.

The Yorkshire-accented voice that made him shudder echoed through the door.

“Madame,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“Doctor Fitz," Jemma said, raising her head towards him. And as he expected it, she sent him a huge smile that troubled him. “Please, sit down while I'm finishing signing this document.”

Leo sat at the desk and waited politely for her to be finished.

Focused on the pile of paper in front of her, she followed the lines of the words with a light finger before signing. Leo noticed her pale hands for the first time, with long thin fingers. For a minute, he imagined her soft hands on him, softly caressing his skin. 

He wriggled in his chair trying to bring down the vague of heat that had invaded him, but his gaze came to rest on her face and he could not resist the urge to observe her in detail. She was divinely beautiful and seductive in her purple blouse. Her hair was raised in a ponytail that allowed him to see her whole face and her perfectly drawn features. Her luscious pink lips gave him the irresistible desire to taste them and worse, to know every inch of her skin. He could not control his thoughts and wondered what kind of lover she would be. How she kissed. How she could be when she was all alone with a man… The way she could love…

Someone knocked at the door and entered. Lorelei showed up with a paper bag and walked to the desk.

“Your lunch, ma'am,” she said with a polite smile.

Jemma nodded and gestured for her to put the bag on the table. Lorelei obeyed, looked at Leo for a second with a smile, before leaving the office. Jemma put down her pen and finally turned to Fitz.

As usual, he wore one of his three-piece black suits that made him so sexy and handsome. She didn't imagine him wearing anything other than that, but for a nano second, she imagined him wearing nothing at all. This idea made her blush and she got up quickly, grabbing the paper bag.

“Would you like to join me for lunch, Dr. Fitz?” she asked with a polite smile.

Leo glanced at her, surprised.

“Lunch? Together?”

“Yes,” Jemma said, going to sit on the sofa. “I think it will be more comfortable to talk about the promotion I’m going to offer you.”

Once again, Leo was astonished. He turned to her and frowned.

“The promotion?”

“Come and sit down,” Jemma said as she took her lunch out of the bag.

Leo walked to her and sat down at the opposite of the sofa. He gave Jemma an intrigued look. 

“Do you like salmon?” Jemma asked. “It's the meal of the day.”

“What's this promotion?” Leo asked, impatient.

Jemma turned to him with a smile.

“Your work with the I.C.E.R. is exceptional, Dr. Fitz. We will be using your weapons by next week as part of my personal project.”

“A personal project?” Leo repeated, intrigued. “What is it about?”

Jemma smiled at him.

“What do you know about the Inhumans, Dr. Fitz?”

“The what?” Leo repeated, confused.

“Judging by your reaction, you don’t know anything about them. Let me explain. But first, let's eat while it's still hot.”

Leo grabbed the meal and nibbled a few bites. What he wanted was to learn more about these Inhumans. What were they? Why had he never heard of them? 

“Tell me more about the Inhumans”, Leo pressed her. “Creatures?”

“Abominations that must be eradicated from this Earth”, Jemma replied venomously.

Leo observed her. What was her problem with these creatures? Had she met any of them yet? Her hatred of them seemed so powerful.

“Tell me what they are and why you want to kill them so much?”

Jemma hesitated for a moment and rested her meal on the table. Few people knew this story from her past and she hated talking about it. But Fitz had to know the truth if she wanted him to become the leader of her project. Plus, she felt she could trust him.

“The Inhumans are a race of genetically modified human beings with extraordinary abilities”, she began in a small voice.

Leo wanted to ask her a question but kept silent, listening attentively.

“They transform into Inhumans through an extraterrestrial process: Terrigenesis.”

Jemma paused for a moment, thoughtful. Then she pulled a small glass box containing a piece of blue crystal out of the pocket of her jacket.

“This is what transforms humans into Inhumans.”

Leo leaned over to her and gently took the little box from her hands. Then he looked up at Jemma.

“Where did you find that crystal?”

Jemma took a deep breath and hesitated.

“23 years ago, my parents and I were coming back from a restaurant. My father had just gotten a promotion. We were going to go to South Africa. My parents were doctors. Good looking. Happy. And then she came out of nowhere. A woman carrying a suitcase. My father stopped to help her. My mother helped him. I stayed in the car, looking at them. The woman began to scream: “Free the Inhumans!”. My parents tried to calm her down, but she kept saying that. Until she opened her suitcase and threw this crystal at my parents.”

Jemma paused for a moment to calm the beating of her heart, banging in her chest. Thinking about this story was painful.

“The crystal mist wrapped my parents. They were petrified, a rocky cocoon covered them. I watched the scene for what seemed like endless minutes. Then the woman screamed and threw her suitcase at my parents, and the rocky cocoon exploded into a thousand pieces...”

Jemma's voice broke on these last words and Leo saw a pearl of water roll over her cheek. Seeing her so faint sensitized Leo. He wanted to get closer to her and perhaps put a comforting hand on hers, but he felt it was not the right time.

“Where is this woman right now?” he asked in a soft voice.

“No idea… But I hope she’s dead!”

Leo looked at the crystal for a second and raised his head to Jemma.

“What do you expect from me?” he asked.

Jemma sniffed and wiped her eyes quickly, before resuming a cold face.

“You'll be the head of the Anti-Inhumans unit, now I have already recruited your team, you will only have to give them your orders. It won't be your only role. Once you've captured the Inhumans with your I.C.E.R.S., I want you to conduct experiments on them in order to recover their supernatural abilities.” 

Jemma turned her face to him.

“And then, only then, you'll kill them.”

Leo couldn't believe it. In half an hour, he had learned so much more than he knew before. Added to that the totally unexpected promotion Jemma offered him. He didn't know what the Inhumans were capable of, but he didn't care, they didn't worry him. And he couldn't wait to start this hunt.

“Does that seem impossible to do, Dr. Fitz?” Jemma asked, hoping he would accept.

“Not at all”, Leo replied immediately. “I’m just wondering why you’re asking me to do this work.”

Jemma looked at him with a smirk.

“Because I want you for this job”, Jemma replied honestly.

Leo clung to her dark, bewitched gaze. He understood at that very moment that he could not resist giving her what she wanted. He was aware of having fallen into her trap as easy prey, but he still had a lot of cards to play. However, for the first time, Leo to give more than he wanted to receive. From now on, it was wasn’t just him that mattered. Now there was what Jemma wanted.

“Another thing”, Jemma continued, “when you begin your experiments on the Inhumans, you will do it in my personal laboratory. You'll have access to everything you need to get the best results HYDRA has achieved since its creation.”

“In that case, there’s no time to lose,” Leo replied, standing up. He adjusted his jacket and flattened his hair with one hand.

Jemma found the gesture irresistible.

“I'm glad you're part of this project, Fitz.”

Leo felt a shiver of desire to hear her say his name. His eyes caught Jemma’s, and each of them felt a heavy tension grow.

Until the door of Jemma's office opened to let Will in.

Jemma's smile faded instantly as Leo turned to the visitor. A quick look and he felt that he did not like him at all. 

“William?” Jemma called as Will walked toward them. ”I'm in a meeting with Dr. Fitz, can you come back later?”

William? This man must have meant more to her than just an agent if she called him by his name.

“There's no need," Leo replied, turning to Jemma. “I have work to do. Have a good day, Madame.”

Jemma nodded as Leo walked to the exit. Just before he closed the door, he glanced at Jemma and William, now closer to her. He felt something rise up in his chest, but he preferred not to think about it. He closed the door behind him, leaving the two together.

Walking down the hallway, he saw Lorelei at her desk and stopped.

“Have you just returned for lunch?” he asked dryly.

Lorelei threw an astonished look at him.

“No, I lunch here when Madame is in her office.”

“In that case, why didn't you warn this man not to enter?”

Lorelei nervously swallowed her saliva.

“I must not say anything when Mr. Daniels comes to see Madame.”

“And what is the reason?” Leo asked, coldly.

“I think... huh, it's because they're intimate...”

Leo's face turned red; he felt jealousy invade him as it had never done before. Knowing that Jemma and this guy were dating...

Leo turned his heels and went back to the lab. No matter that that bitch was dating that guy, he had other concerns. Now that he had climbed the ladder, it was time for him to show who he really was. No matter what Jemma Simmons did. 


	5. Chapter 5

At the end of the day, Leo brought together the entire team of the Anti-Inhumans unit. Madame HYDRA had sent him a list of names that he did not even bother to consult. He would let them make the presentations directly. For hours he had tried to learn as much as possible about the Inhumans. What they were. Where he could find them. Their abilities. The effects of Terrigenesis. He didn't know everything yet, but he was certain that his plan with this team would be a success.

When he entered the meeting room, he noticed a dozen people waiting for him. He sat at the end of the large table.

“I'm Dr. Leopold Fitz, and the leader of this team,” he said without preamble. “Madame Hydra entrusted me with the management of this unit in order to track down and capture all the potential Inhumans. That's your mission.”

“Excuse me, but what's the point of capturing them if it's to kill them?”

A man with a bald head and a puffy face asked the question. Leo turned to him.

“You are?”

“Pinsky. Field agent.”

“Are you used to questioning the choices of your superiors, Pinsky?”

Pinsky laughed nervously and glanced at the others.

“No, but it doesn't make sense. Why bother to capture them? You might as well kill them immediately, right?”

“What if I kill you immediately, Pinsky? Would have made more sense?”

A silence fell in the room as Leo looked menacingly at the Agent. Pinsky nervously swallowed his saliva and sank into his chair.

Leo put his hands on his hips and addressed the others.

“Let's be clear, I don't have time to waste with amateurs. This mission must be an unprecedented success in the history of HYDRA. The slightest failure will not be tolerated. That's why I'm going to reorganize this team myself now. Starting with Pinsky who leaves the team immediately.”

“But...” Pinsky tried to say.

“Out!” Leo ordered.

Pinsky got up and left the room. Another agent around the table leaned forward to be seen. Leo realized that it was the man who had entered Madame HYDRA's office. Jemma's lover.

Jealousy and hatred took hold of him. To work with him was out of the question. Just seeing him again already pissed him off.

“You”, he said, pointing a finger at him. “Your specialty in this team.”

“I'm the pilot,” William replied with a small smile. “And a field agent.”

A pilot, really? How funny it was. Leo felt a certain joy in being able to humiliate him. What did Jemma find interesting in him? He maybe had a muscular body but certainly not a brain.

“Well, you’re dispensable to this mission. You can go.”

“I don't think so,” William replied.

Leo shot a dark look at him.

“It seems to me that many of you do not know obedience.”

“Probably,” William continued. “But I was personally recruited by Madame HYDRA to join this team, so I can't leave it.”

William gave him a little winner's smile that made Leo want to put a bullet in his skull. If this jerk thought Madame HYDRA's decisions would save him from being fired, he was wrong.

“And I'm the head of this unit, so if I fire you from this team, you're fired. And I don't care about what Madame HYDRA gave you personally.”

William tried to say something, but the young woman beside him stopped him with a gesture, whispering to him to be quiet and avoid conflict. William observed her for a few seconds before getting up and leaving the meeting room.

“Any others want to follow the same path?” Leo asked, harshly.

No one else moved, waiting for the meeting to finally begin.

Leo turned to the man on his left.

“Your name and abilities.”

“Agent Grant Ward, sir. Espionage expert.”

Leo nodded, finally an interesting element.

“You lead Team A of this unit.”

“Yes, sir,” Ward replied, nodding.

Leo turned his head and looked at an Asian woman in her forties. 

“Agent Melinda May, sir. Expert in all areas of combat and military tactics. And I also know how to pilot. It may add something to the team.”

“Interesting,” Leo admitted. “You’ll lead Team B and let me know the latest news of the two teams.”

“Yes, sir.”

Leo turned to the young woman who had spoken to the pilot.

“Agent Skye Johnson. Hacking specialist, tactician espionage.”

“Team B,” Leo said simply.

Then Leo turned to the last two recruits, a man, and a woman.

“Agent Barbara Morse. Expert in combat and interrogation.”

“Good news,” Leo said. “Team A. You will also help me to interrogate the Inhumans.”

Agent Morse nodded, delighted, and Leo turned to the last man. He sat nonchalantly in his chair, looking like he didn't care about anything.

“Lancelot Amadeus Ravenclaw Hunter. But everyone calls me Lance. I love kicking people's ass, spying on them and my girlfriend.”

“Hunter!” Morse retorted, turning to him.

Although he was everything Leo hated about a man, he found him amusing. The kind of guy who wouldn’t take the lead but knew how to do his job. Nevertheless, he decided not to give him too much satisfaction.

“Team B,” he announced, before taking a pile of paper and throwing it into the middle of the table. “This will be the protocol I expect you to follow during this mission. No exceptions. You will find a map of possible Inhumans’ location in these pages.”

“Do we have an effective way to neutralize them?” Ward asked.

“The I.C.E.R.S. will help you, they were created for that. You have until the end of the week to bring me a first Inhuman.”

All turned to him, astonished.

“What are you waiting for?” Leo asked in a loud voice. “Back to work!”

“Hail Hydra!” they exclaimed in chorus before leaving the room.

Leo watched them leave, adjusted his jacket, and flattened his hair. He couldn't wait to find his first Inhuman. But for now, he had a machine to build capable of recognizing and extracting their powers.

Without waiting a moment longer, Leo joined Madame HYDRA's personal laboratory.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, some part of this chapter brings violence and mature words.

Jemma Simmons' lab had nothing to do with all of HYDRA's other labs. It was _the_ laboratory that Leo had dreamed of having for years. There was almost everything that a laboratory for scientific geniuses could possess. A gigantic state-of-the-art screen stood on the wall; four others of small sizes were arranged next to each other. Cupboards and shelves containing all the necessary scientific equipment. Two worktables. And the most amazing thing: a gigantic Holotable. This tool allowed you to recreate holographic models whilst studying, analyzing, and reconstructing a wide range of objects, weapons, events from Google in 3D. Leo had seen only one in his entire life. In Tony Stark's lab. Since that day, he had dreamed of being able to work with this tool and own one.

Apart from the scientific aspect, Jemma's laboratory contained more of a personal element. Near the office, there were several photographs. A couple showed a woman who looked a lot like Jemma. Another photograph showed a little girl with the same dark eyes as Jemma. Leo had thought they must have been her parents. Another one showed older Jemma, alongside old Peggy Carter. Each of them stood in the same way, a sign that Peggy had passed the workings of her trade onto the little girl.

A collection of rare butterflies stood on a shelf next to the two PhDs in biology-chemistry and biotechnology. Finally, a gigantic library with interesting scientific books. Leo had read almost all of them and he thought it was funny that Jemma also loved cosmology. Perhaps they had more in common than they thought?

Leo stepped back a little from the holotable, thoughtful. He contemplated the plans of the new machine he was about to create, which could evaluate the powers of the Inhumans and be able to extract them from their host. The design seemed to have positive results.

Leo was changing two elements on the screen when the lab door opened to a furious Madame HYDRA.

“Why did you fire William Daniels off the team?!” she shouted as she approached Fitz.

If he was initially surprised by the brutal intrusion that broke the calm in which he worked, Leo did not show it on the cold face he displayed when he turned to her.

“We did not need him,” he replied with a calmness that surprised even himself.

“You're going to reinstate him and right now!”

“No. We don't need a pilot on this team. Just like we didn't need that moron Pinsky.” 

“I don't care about Pinsky,” Jemma yelled. “I'm ordering you to put William back on the team.”

Leo felt the anger rising in him. If there was one thing he hated the most, it was receiving orders when he didn't want to do something.

“Why do you want so much to reintegrate him?” Leo vociferated, stepping to her.

“My reasons are none of your business!” Jemma retorted, just as angry as he was.

“Oh, really? Is it because you're in awe of his loops in the air,” Leo continued furiously, “or does he have an advantage because he fucks you every night?”

Jemma slapped him so hard that he took a step back. Uncontrollable, Leo leapt towards her and grabbed her throat with his hand. He slammed her so violently against the cupboard that Jemma made a frightened little muffled groan, looking at the murder in his eyes and his face so close to her.

Then the lightning suddenly passed. Leo noticed Jemma's frightened gaze and his hand immediately loosened from her throat. His gaze softened; his mouth murmured a little "sorry."

Jemma's heart was beating so hard in her chest that it hurt. She couldn’t breathe properly, but her fear was already ebbing away. All she saw now was Fitz's face. So close to her that their noses almost touched.

Leo noticed it, too. His fingers, still on Jemma's throat, began to caress her milky, silk-soft skin, enjoying the possibility of finally touching her. He had never felt anything so sweet.

Fitz's gentle caress ignited Jemma. Her breathing was short and fast, and she could feel Fitz's hot breath against her mouth and his body pressed against hers. A few more inches, and his mouth would seal hers.

Their eyes met for a second before Leo looked at Jemma's lips. He was be dying to kiss her and taste her beautiful, tempting lips. But after what he had just done, he couldn't steal that from her.

Leo recoiled from her and turned his back. Jemma breathed again, terribly disappointed. She had so hoped that he would kiss her. That she could finally taste his mouth, touch him back...

A long, heavy silence settled in the laboratory. It was too unbearable for Jemma, who hurriedly left the room. Leo watched her disappear, his heart heavy. Then he went back to work, trying not to think about what had just happened- or could have happened.

* * *

When Jemma entered her lab the next morning, she did not expect to find what she did. Fitz had not returned home and had stayed to work on the new machine until late at night. And he had fallen asleep in his chair. With his arms folded and his feet stretched out on the table, he slept peacefully, deeply, calmly.

Jemma couldn't help but look at him. His torso slowly lowered at the steady rhythm of his breathing, she noticed the neckline of his open shirt, which he had removed his tie from. His skin looked velvety and she bit her lips, resisting the urge to touch it. He didn't seem to have a well-toned body but he had some salient muscles under his shirt. Her gaze turned to his face. His features were soothed, though a fine line floated on his forehead. His finely trimmed beard had grown a little in recent days. Jemma had noticed it. And his hair, which he struggled to flatten every time with his hand, was in disarray. Jemma had the irresistible urge to put her hands in it. How handsome and attractive he was!

She sighed and turned to her office to pick up what she had come for, when he suddenly awoke.

“What the...,” he breathed in a hoarse voice as he noticed Jemma by the office door.

“Hello, Dr. Fitz,” she greeted him politely.

Confused, he jumped up, tried to dispel the folds of his shirt, rebuttoned his bolero and looked for his tie.

“Uh... I fell asleep in the lab,” he said, looking at her in embarrassment.

“I noticed,” Jemma answered. “Did you work all night?”

“Uh, yes. I wanted to finish the blueprints of the machine.”

He looked around for his tie, and at the same time flattened his messy hair. Jemma grabbed the tie from the chair and handed it to him.

“When will you be able to build it?” she asked as he took the piece of fabric from her hands, carefully avoiding touching her.

“Today, if I received the materials I ordered.”

“They're in the materials room,” Jemma confirmed.

Leo nodded and an embarrassing atmosphere set in. He moved to the holotable before turning his head towards her.

“Anything else, Madame?” he asked.

“Just the guest list for the 50th anniversary of HYDRA’s creation”, she said, grabbing a folder.

“The 50th anniversary?”

“Yes, on Saturday it will be 50 years since HYDRA was created,” Jemma explained. “My family and I have been celebrating this organization for decades. This year it's my turn. 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Carlisle Hotel. You're invited if you want to come.”

Leo glanced at her but shook his head.

“No, parties are not my thing. Besides, I still have to finish the machine.”

“As you wish,” Jemma replied disappointed. “Have a good day, Dr. Fitz. I'll be in my office if you need anything.”

Leo nodded and turned to the machine. Jemma left the lab feeling sad.


	7. Chapter 7

Later that day, Leo had to leave the lab, annoyed. The pieces he had ordered for the machine were not the right ones and that prevented him from continuing to build it. Although he could order them on his own, the seller wanted Madame HYDRA's approval before taking the order. So, Leo had to get Jemma's agreement, to talk to her, to interact with her. He who had vowed to avoid all contact was now cursed with the fate that forced him to speak to her.

“Madam is busy,” Lorelei said as he walked over to Jemma's office.

“This is important and I have no time to waste,” Leo replied, ignoring the secretary's second remark.

He stopped in front of the door, readjusted his jacket, and flattened his hair. Before he had time to knock on the door, Jemma's voice screamed through the walls. Maybe he should come back later?

He was about to turn back when he decided he couldn't wait any longer. The machine had to be finished by Saturday at the latest. He knocked. Jemma didn't answer, so he knocked a second time then entered.

Jemma looked up at the intruder. She had expected to see Lorelei and was ready to dismiss her coldly when she recognized Fitz. Her heart pounded even though on the other end of the phone; Peggy's voice was telling her to not continue the project.

“I heard you!”, Jemma retorted, telling Fitz to wait. “But this is an important project and...

She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment. Leo watched her, silent.

“I have to go,” Jemma said suddenly. “I’ll call you later.” 

Then she hung up furiously and sighed.

“What is it?” she asked Fitz, who was looking at her.

“I have a problem with the pieces of the machine”, he replied. “They’re are not the right ones.”

“Well order the good ones! Why are you bothering me about this?” Jemma said, pissed off as she jumped up from her chair.

“I need your permission,” Leo replied curtly.

“Forget the machine! There is no Inhuman project!”

She went to the window and contemplated the view and the traffic from the top of her tower. Leo's heart skipped a beat. What did she mean by no Inhuman project? Why did she want to stop everything?

Leo looked at Jemma for a moment. She had her back to him still, arms crossed and silent. Leo could feel the tension emanating from her.

“There is a problem,” Leo said calmly.

Jemma didn't answer. She took a deep breath.

“My grandmother is against my project,” she said. “I can't do it.”

Leo nodded, understanding the situation. If it had been him, Alistair would probably have reacted in the same way. However, he wanted this project to work. He wanted Jemma to show Peggy what she was capable of doing for HYDRA.

“Don't listen to her,” he said. “You run HYDRA, how you manage it is up to you.”

“It’s not that easy,” Jemma retorted. “She does not understand. She will never understand how important it is for me to get revenge.”

“I understand,” he said in a soft voice.

Jemma turned to him, and the two of them looked at each other from where they were for a long moment. Jemma's gaze softened and she gave Fitz a small smile. Leo walked over to her, close enough to make her heart beat fast.

“I believe in this project,” he said. “And I am ready to help you make it happen. Don't say anything to Peggy. Just show her what you can do.”

Jemma didn't take her eyes off Fitz, looking at him with gratitude and admiration.

“Show her that you’re Madame HYDRA and that nothing will stop you.”

Leo stepped even closer to Jemma as he spoke. His gaze did not let go of Jemma's. It was as if two magnets attracted each other. The bad mood that had invaded Jemma's heart a few minutes earlier had disappeared and been replaced by a violent desire to touch Fitz. She desperately wanted him to hug her.

Leo seemed to get the message, he moved even closer and his hand suddenly slipped into Jemma's. Fire and ice met and became entangled.

Jemma's heart was pounding so hard she felt like it was going to come out of her chest. Leo couldn't help but breathe hard, unable to control his emotions.

One more step towards her, and he would kiss her. His face was very close to hers. His gaze kept looking at her eyes and her mouth.

 _‘Kiss her’_ , he told himself in his head.

 _‘Kiss me’_ , Jemma said to herself.

Leo was about to take that next step when the door opened behind them. He backed away from Jemma and turned to the intruder who had disturbed them. William.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, looking at them.

Leo cursed that asshole like he’d never curse anyone before. If only he could snap his neck right now...

“Not at all,” Jemma said going back to her desk. “I'm sending you my signature for the material, Doctor Fitz. You can go.”

Leo gave Jemma a cold, contemptuous look. How could she send him back to employee status in front of that asshole? Jealousy and disgust took hold of him. He would never measure up to that asshole William. Jemma was just playing with him.

Without a word, he crossed the room to leave. William was blocking his way. He looked him over with his deadliest gaze.

“As we are all here,” William said with a smile, “I think Madame HYDRA informed you that I was coming back to the team, didn't you Jemma?”

“You are assigned to another mission, William.”

Will turned to her, frowning.

“But you told me...”

“I need you elsewhere,” Jemma cut him off.

“For a mission far away from this planet, I hope,” Leo replied sarcastically.

“Enough!” Madame HYDRA ordered. “Doctor Fitz, get back to work. Right now.”

Leo didn't even give Jemma another look. He was too angry and resentful to let her see it. As she preferred that asshole to him, he wouldn't bother to hope for anything else from her.

William gave Leo a smirk, then stepped back a little to let him out. Before he walked through the door, he leaned over him and whispered:

“You can have her, but it’s always me that she wants.”

Leo glared at him. He restrained himself with all his might from throwing himself at William and breaking his neck. Taking a deep breath, he shoved William as he left and returned to the lab, his heart aching.

Leo could never compete with Daniels. Jemma loved him and Leo would be just the one she played with. He knew it and it made him sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter 8 is posted too, don't miss it ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, this chapter contains mature scenes.

Leo was still working very late on Saturday night. Most of the staff had already returned home or gone to the 50th anniversary of the creation of HYDRA. He had made good progress on the machine and wanted to test it, but Leo kept thinking about the party. And Jemma. Especially about Jemma.

When he was on his way back to the lab after lunch, he found a note on his desk from her. She was asking him to come to the party to talk about "the Inhuman Project". Of course, what else? Certainly not to see him there, enjoying the party next to her with a glass of champagne. Someone else would probably do that instead of him. 

However, he couldn't stop imagining Jemma in a beautiful dress, sparkling in front of all the people of HYDRA, admiring how powerful and invincible she was, her shining smile thrown at everyone. And all those men looking at her... All those men, except him...

Leo stepped back from the machine and glanced at the clock. The party must have started an hour ago, maybe it wasn't too late to go? To see Jemma sparkle like a queen...

Leo thought for a moment, hesitating. His gaze fell on the cupboard where he had slammed Jemma a few days earlier. If he had not let his anger explode, if he had not backed down, he could have kissed her. He would have finally tasted her lips and maybe...

He was dying to see her. He was dying to have his eyes admire Jemma on the podium, queen of the party.

Laying down his screwdriver, Leo grabbed his jacket and hurried out of the lab. He feared that something would prevent him from going to the party. He rushed to the underground car park, impatient, moaning at the automatic doors that took too long to open. Then he drove home. He changed, swapping his usual dark outfit for a midnight blue suit and a white shirt. He quickly adjusted his hair, checked his appearance in the mirror and left the apartment without even thinking about locking it.

The Carlisle Hotel was only about 20 minutes from his home. It took him barely fifteen minutes.

When he parked in front of the Hotel, a doorman came to open the door and take his name. Leo hadn't thought about it, but Jemma had told him he was invited, and he was surprised to find that his name was on the guest list. He did not wait and entered the Hotel.

The luxury of the Carlisle Hotel was surreal. The walls of the hall were covered with marble and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a huge fountain depicting Aphrodite, goddess of love. Leo headed to the hubbub where the party was taking place. A man greeted him as he entered and Leo paused for a moment to contemplate the room.

Luxury sparkled from all sides. Leo thought it would be the only time in his life that he would set foot there. Crystal chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings, walls were lined with huge paintings, marble floors shone. Tables with white tablecloths were set all around the room with hundreds of small ovens. At the back of the room was a small, raised platform with a grandstand. The room was packed. Between the waiters and the guests, it was difficult to find your way around.

Leo stepped forward and looked for the only person who had brought him here. It didn't take him long to find her. He found himself almost directly opposite her, at the other end of the room, chatting with guests. In her hand, a glass of champagne. But this was not the cause of Leo's lack of breathing.

Jemma was magnificent. She wore a burgundy dress that perfectly highlighted her divine body, revealing each of her gorgeous curves. The top gave a sensual touch that almost caused Leo to have a heart attack, a slight V-shape highlighting her chest without showing too much. Her hair was pulled up into a perfect bun and her mouth was emphasized by a red, sensual lipstick that complimented the dress. But the most stunning part for Leo was the bottom half. The dress stopped above her knees and revealed her beautiful legs which almost made him lose his mind. Jemma was like a sparkling ruby shinning across the room.

If he had not yet realized his feelings for her, he understood them at that moment. Leo fell unconditionally and irretrievably in love with Jemma for the second time.

“A glass of champagne, sir?”

Out of his daydream, Leo turned to a waiter with a silver tray. He mechanically took a glass before turning again to Jemma. Her laugh sounded in his ears. He finished his glass to give himself courage and was about to join her when something stopped him in his tracks.

William had come close to her and the group she was with. He put a hand around Jemma's waist, like a possessive gesture, before he whispered something in her ear that Jemma ignored. Leo felt a huge writhe of jealousy invading him. Then sadness took hold. Seeing that asshole do what he wanted to do with her more than anything put him out of it. How could Jemma want him? Why wasn't he in that asshole's shoes? A pain pinched his heart, he closed his eyes and grimaced. He needed air. He decided to go outside so he could no longer see Jemma with William.

Luckily, a balcony was nearby. He pushed through the crowd and threw himself outside where the light cool breeze touched his face.

That's when Jemma saw him. Her heart leaped into her chest. He had come. And he was alone on the balcony. She had to go and see him.

“So, you're going with me?” William asked, drunk after his tenth glass of champagne that evening.

“I'm the host of this party, you idiot, I can't leave. Think about it.”

“They don't care, they've all seen you already,” Will replied. “I want to leave.”

“So, leave, I'm not holding you back. And go straight home.”

“You're unbearable,” he sighed. “Stay with your little people.”

William set off for the exit and Jemma breathed a sigh of relief. Then she politely apologized to the guests and walked through the crowd.

When she went out on the balcony, she looked for Fitz, but she couldn’t find him. Where was he? He wouldn’t jump off the balcony, would he? As she stepped a little closer, she heard a sigh to her side and discovered a small alcove in the wall. 

Upon seeing her, Fitz immediately stood up, surprised, and a big smile stretched over Jemma's lips.

“Dr. Fitz. You finally came,” she said.

“I... I was just about to leave.”

“But you've only just arrived.”

“I told you, it's not my thing.”

“So why did you come here then?” Jemma asked, abruptly.

She was sad that he wanted to leave already. She would have liked him to stay, to be close to her, introduce him to the guests. She wanted to show him off to everyone. Show that this man was of supreme intelligence, that his ideas were revolutionary for HYDRA and how indispensable he was, and that he had an important place in her life. She wanted to show everyone that he was the only one who... the only one who truly captured her heart.

Leo did not answer her question, preferring to avoid the true reason. Then his gaze fell upon her body, which he devoured with his eyes. Even at night, she was sumptuous, radiant with beauty under the little lights of the balcony. A Goddess who had stolen his heart and mind.

“You're stunning,” he said, almost in a whisper.

Jemma's smile widened and for the first time she could not help but blush. The compliment from Fitz and the way he watched her with his electric and eager gaze gave her butterflies in her belly. Or was it just the effect of the champagne?

“You too,” she said in return. “Blue is definitely your colour.”

“Thank you...”

A long silence passed.

“I'm going to go home now,” Fitz said suddenly as he advanced towards the exit. “Good evening, Madame.”

As he passed by her, Jemma grabbed his hand. The contact gave them an electric shock.

“Don't go, Fitz,” Jemma begged.

Fitz looked at Jemma's hand in his. Cold but soft as velvet.

Leo looked up at her, his mind thinking like a madman. What could he say? What if she didn’t want him? What if she preferred that asshole to than him even after he revealed his feelings for her?

“Fitz...” Jemma murmured. 

“I want you,” he said in a sudden breath.

Jemma's heart leapt into her chest. A new heat invaded her whole body. He had said it. He wanted her. Fitz wanted her!

“I'm in love with you, Jemma,” Fitz continued. “I keep thinking about you day and night. I want to see you, work with you, touch you, kiss you, be with you...

Jemma's smile grew. She couldn't believe her ears; Fitz had finally told her how he felt about her. He loved her. She, the evil director of HYDRA who had humiliated him when he arrived. He loved her! 

“But I refuse to be just a one-night stand,” Fitz said in a serious tone. “I don’t want to be your secondary lover while you're with him. I want to be the only one in your life. I don't want to share you!”

Jemma approached him, distraught.

“William was nothing but a distraction. I don't like him. And I'm ready to send him to the other side of the world if I'm sure you want me.”

Fitz gave her a burning look, his blue eyes shining under the light that made Jemma light. Jemma got closer again, grabbed his collar.

“Kiss me, Fitz...”

In a sudden motion, Leo grabbed her to kiss her and wrapped his hands around her waist. Jemma drew him to her by his jacket while Leo pushed them into the alcove, Jemma against the wall.

Leo was finally tasting her lips. Sweet, intoxicating, with a cherry taste. Jemma groaned deeply as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and she clung to his hair, drawing him to her to prolong the torrid kiss.

Each of them thought of nothing but their mouths dancing together and their hands wandering over each other's bodies. Fitz gave a deep growl when Jemma drew his body against her own.

Out of breath, they parted for a second before kissing again. Then Leo left Jemma's mouth to kiss the young woman's milky neck. Her skin was soft, intoxicating, and her perfume so captivating! Jemma groaned with happiness, savoring Fitz's mouth on her skin like a radiating caress. Her whole body was boiling. She wanted him more than anything in the world, and nothing but him, his hands and his mouth on her body, his love. Only this mattered.

“Fitz...,” she sighed, clinging to his neck.

Fitz bit her neck slightly and she thought she was going to pass out. Then he returned to her mouth before stepped back again.

Their eyes plunged into each other, sparkling with love and desire. They were ready to do it again when Jemma heard footsteps coming closer.

“Jemmie?” someone called.

Jemma immediately recognized Peggy and put her hand over Fitz's mouth to signal him not to be quiet. Both waited for the old woman to leave, hearts pounding, desire fading. Jemma prayed that Peggy would not come to the alcove and surprise them. Who knew the reaction she might have had if she saw her granddaughter kissing a man against a wall like a vulgar teenager?

Finally, Peggy's steps moved away. Leo and Jemma glanced at each other, and she took her hand away before bursting into laughter. Fitz glanced at her, confused.

“Why are you laughing?”

“You have red lips,” she said, putting her finger over his mouth. “Fortunately, I can clean us.”

She looked in the pocket of her dress for the little kit she carried everywhere, then grabbed a wipe to clean Fitz's mouth.

Even after giving him back his pinkish colour, Fitz's lips were swollen by their kiss. Jemma cleaned her mouth and put on a coat of lipstick.

“Let's go back inside,” Jemma said with a smile. “I can’t disappear for too long or else my grandmother will call the FBI to find me.”

“That's an idea,” Fitz chuckled. “I could have taken you away...”

“Stay,” Jemma told him. “I want to present you to the guests.”

Leo hesitated. He really didn't like this kind of party or to be with so many people. But for Jemma, he was willing to do anything.

“All right,” he said. “But don't blame me if I'm cold with them. I hate people.”

“I noticed,” Jemma scoffed before putting her hair back properly. “Wait five minutes before you go inside. Then join me.”

She winked at him and went back inside.

Leo watched her walk away, his heart pounding like a madman, still stunned because of what had just happened. He had kissed her. He had told her his feelings. In his mind, he still had the feeling of Jemma's lips on his.

For the first time in his life, Leo realized that there was more to his life than science. More than the ambition to always succeed. This time there was love.

There was Jemma.


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of the evening was as Leo feared. Terribly boring. Luckily, Jemma was there to entertain him. Listening to people repeating the same thing to the Director was so tiresome. How could Jemma handle this? Each time, she thanked her guests, complimented them in return, constantly displayed a polite smile, acting like the Queen of the evening. Well, that's what she did when she wasn't putting Leo on a pedestal. She knew exactly who to present him to and who to emphasize his many qualities to. Within half an hour, Leo had gone from an unknown scientist to a revered one, someone that would revolutionize HYDRA. And Jemma never failed to show how proud she was of him.

He didn't appreciate being in the spotlight much, yet he, the lonely man carpeted in the shadows, felt flattered and proud to hear Jemma speak of him in such a way. In her words he seemed intelligent and powerful. Yes, Leopold Fitz was living his moment of glory, and Jemma Simmons was in charge of it.

“Come with me, I will introduce you to my grandmother,” Jemma said, taking him with her by the arm.

Leo felt his heart tighten, and he glanced anxiously at Jemma, who ignored him.

“Grandmother? I'd like you to meet Dr. Leo Fitz. He's working on the Inhuman Project.”

Peggy turned to them, her glass of champagne in her hand. Her gaze passed from Jemma to Leo, whom she judged with a dismissive look.

“Jemmie, where were you? I've been looking for you all the evening,” Peggy asked.

“Among the guests,” Jemma replied, a little uncomfortable. “I was trapped by Justin Hammer; you know how curious and annoying he is.”

Peggy nodded with a tight smile. Leo was sure she didn't believe Jemma at all. She discreetly patted him on the back, telling him to open his mouth.

“Mrs. Carter,” he greeted, politely. “It's a true pleasure to meet you. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.”

He was aware that he was overdoing it a little, but he wasn’t used to being introduced to such powerful people, women of such reputation, he was completely unaware of what to do. A clenched smile stretched on Jemma's lips.

“Fitz?” Peggy repeated ignoring his flattery. “Are you related to Alistair Fitz?”

Et voilà. Fitz feared that one day someone would connect him to his father and it had to be that old woman.

“Indeed, Ma’am,” Leo replied sincerely. “He's my father.”

Peggy glanced at him with disdain.

“I see,” she said with a false smile. “I knew your father once. He showed up hoping to join HYDRA. Obviously, he didn't have the required skills. I hope my granddaughter wasn't wrong about yours.”

“Grandmother!” Jemma said, shooting a black look at Peggy.

“I am not my father,” Leo answered, coldly. “And thanks to me, HYDRA is now in possession of revolutionary weapons that give it a definite advantage over its enemies. Especially the Inhumans.”

Peggy was hardly impressed. And Leo hated her even more.

“A project I asked her I don't know how many times to give up,” Peggy said, turning to Jemma with a cold stare.

And suddenly Jemma made herself very small, looking down and keeping silent. Leo noticed that although she was the current Madame HYDRA, dangerous and powerful, Peggy would still be the strongest of the two of them. Kind of like with him and Alistair. And just for that reason, Leo wanted to protect her.

“And forget the death of her parents as a vulgar, unimportant, car accident,” Leo added with sarcasm, a contemptuous smile on his lips. “Probably something you trivialize.”

Peggy's face went from white to red. Her dark eyes could have killed Leo on the spot. Jemma turned to him, shocked.

“How dare you?!” Peggy shouted in rage.

Leo completely ignored her anger. He wanted to provoke her and defend Jemma, and he was going to make it clear to Peggy.

“If you don't want to hear that,” Leo began, hands in his pockets, “respect Jemma's choice. She has the right to want to avenge her parents. And I will be behind her, helping her as much as she wants.”

Peggy's face twisted in anger. She turned again to Jemma, venomous.

“I advise you to keep your dog on a leash,” she threatened. “Just because you're sleeping with him doesn't mean I'm going to let you vilify me like that! Say something!”

Jemma seemed to be on the verge of fainting, yet she turned to Fitz and with a black look, ordered him to stop.

“Apologize immediately!” she ordered.

Leo knew she was going to react like this. Because if he had been in Jemma's shoes tonight, and Alistair had ordered him the same thing, he would have done, however much he loved Jemma. Just out of fear. Peggy was Alistair. Maybe worse.

Leo looked hard at Jemma, then he turned his head to Peggy and gave her a smirk.

“My apologies, Peggy,” he said sarcastically. “Enjoy the 50th anniversary, ladies. The evening has become a little too boring for me.”

He turned to Jemma without a smile, his face dark. Then without waiting, he rushed to the exit, realizing that he had perhaps just spoiled the nascent love between him and Jemma.

Jemma breathed a long sigh, frustrated and angry. Why did Fitz need to behave like that with Peggy? She was the last person he should want on his bad side, especially now that she had just started a relationship with him!

“I don't want you to see that boy again,” Peggy said, drinking her champagne.

“Don't ask me that,” Jemma begged, her heart pounding.

“You'll find another man,” Peggy said. “And someone a little more respectful. Come on, how do you always fall in love with the same kind of idiot?! You keep reminding me of your mother!”

Jemma stared at her silently, her heart sore. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

“Oh, don't start crying.” Peggy said, annoyed. “This is neither the place nor the time. Get over it!”

“You only love yourself and HYDRA,” Jemma replied. “Nothing else matters and certainly not the happiness of your family. I understand why my mother left!” 

“Your mother would still be alive and with us if she hadn't followed that stupid doctor!”

“I truly wonder how Grandpa Steve could have loved you,” Jemma continued. “You're just a viper with a heart of ice.”

Peggy approached her threateningly. Jemma looked at her.

“I advise you to be careful of what you say,” Peggy threatened. “I’ve tolerated enough insults tonight, young lady!”

Jemma confronted her and took a deep breath. She was aware that she was about to cross the line, but this time she couldn't keep quiet.

“I will continue the Inhuman project,” she said calmly. “And I will continue my relationship with Fitz. Whether you like it or not, you will have to accept it. If not, then take back the direction of HYDRA and I'll leave without you seeing me again.”

Peggy glared at her with a face twisted by anger. Then she checked that no one had heard their exchange around them.

“Go back to your guests,” she ordered Jemma. “And honor this 50th anniversary as I would!”

For the first time, Jemma felt that she had just won a battle against her grandmother. She had taken a huge risk but now Peggy knew what Jemma was willing to do. Fortunately, Jemma was Peggy's only hope of continuing her legacy. Jemma had just figured it out. Peggy would always have an influence over her, but from now on, Jemma was able to impose her choices and oppose Peggy, just as her mother had before. The only difference was that Peggy was the last remaining link to her mother. And despite the deep bitterness she felt for her grandmother, she could not abandon her. Jemma had a heart she shared. Even for the bad people.

Jemma turned her back on Peggy, grabbed a glass of champagne that a waiter brought and blended into the crowd of guests. She would continue her role as Madame HYDRA until her last breath. She would carry out her projects whether Peggy liked it or not. And most of all, she'd do it with Fitz by her side. Because unlike Peggy, and just like her mother, Jemma was in love. And Fitz was the one she wanted to be unstoppable together with.


	10. Chapter 10

On Monday shortly before lunch, Leo was finishing the final adjustments on the machine when Jemma entered. Although he was happy to see her, he had not forgotten her behavior at the party and the way she had reacted to Peggy’s attitude against him. Neither had seen each other since then and Leo was hesitant about how to act with her. So, he opted for the Doctor's side, cold and distant.

“Is the machine ready?” Madame HYDRA asked, putting a lunch bag on the desk.

“I’m finishing the final adjustments”, Leo replied, detached, his gaze fixed on his work.

“Perfect. Agent Johnson confirmed that an Inhuman was captured yesterday in New York?”

“That's right, he should arrive in the early afternoon.”

“That's very good news. I like to start the week in a good mood.”

Leo looked up but keep silent. How could she be in a good mood when two days earlier she had almost put an end to their nascent love? In the end, maybe Leo moved a little too fast. Jemma was not as deeply in love with him as he was with her. And most importantly, he had just realized that he was not making a difference against the manipulative Peggy.

Leo went back to his work as if he hadn't heard anything.

Jemma was looking at Fitz, waiting for a reaction from him. After her appointment in the morning, she had gone to the restaurant across the street to order their lunch and rushed to the lab. In addition, she wanted to share with him the good news that Skye had announced to her this morning. Her project was finally coming to life. And Fitz had a lot to do with it.

Jemma feared that what had happened at the party would ruin their nascent relationship. It was true that she should have defended Fitz in front of Peggy, but it was not easy to oppose her. She hoped Fitz would forgive her and no longer be angry. Because he was now. His cold eyes, his silence, his ignorance, showed that he was mad at her. Another characteristic of her lover. In addition to all the others, he was resentful. But it was a flaw that she could accept.

Jemma approached him and put her hands on his back. Fitz froze under the caress of her fingers, which were coming down his spine to finally wrapped his waist, and she pressed her body against his. Leo felt the beat of his heart accelerate and closed his eyes, caught by Jemma's touch. The young woman's hands went up to his torso, and Leo felt the warmth of her palms radiate through his shirt. He felt Jemma's body against hers and when she kissed his neck tenderly, like a burning mark, a long shiver hold of him.

“I haven't stopped thinking about our kiss,” Jemma said.

Leo flinched, but tried to stay focused.

“It will surely be the only one you get,” he replied, dryly.

Jemma couldn't help but smile. He was so stubborn.

“I don't want it to be the only one,” she said, her nose in his neck.

“Maybe you should ask your grandmother for permission,” Fitz said.

Jemma sighed in annoyance but did not take off her hands from his torso.

“Fitz,” she said in a warning tone.

Leo swiveled and pushed her away a little to observe her. His eyes were cold.

“What did you expect?” he said. “That I was going to forget your behaviour?”

“What about yours?” Jemma retorted. “Admit you'd overstepping your behaviour by talking to her like you did?”

“So, it's my fault?” Leo said, upset, pointing his finger at him. “Is it my fault that I want to defend your choices and stop you getting belittled by that old bag?”

“Fitz! Don't insult her.”

Leo approached her, mad.

“I've been belittled and despised enough by my father to continue to suffer with her or you. If you want me, you're going to have to respect me and defend me. That's how a relationship works!”

Jemma observed him at length. He was right. If Peggy hadn't started first, things could have gone well and they wouldn't have to argue about it.

“I don't want to argue,” she said, putting her hands back on his chest. “The fact she thinks you're worthless, I don't care. I see an intelligent, ambitious man who makes my heartbeat like no one has ever done before.”

“Not even your pilot?” he asked, teasing her.

“Ugh, how insupportable you are!”

Leo couldn't help but smile. Then he drowned in her gaze, relaxed. He definitely could not resist her for very long. How could he resist this dark and captivating gaze, her pink and tempting lips, her hypnotic smile? His gaze went to her face, full of freckles that he wanted to kiss one by one. How could he not have seen this beauty before?

Leo was caught in an uncontrollable whirlwind. His hand pushed back the cascade of her curly hair before putting his fingers on Jemma's skin. She closed her eyes to his touch and kissed his boiling palm against her cheek.

Then Jemma opened her eyes to dive into his electric look. Uncontrollable, she grabbed Fitz’s neck and pushed him against the desk to kiss him passionately.

Leo reacted automatically, fevered, and answered to her kiss, unable to control himself. Just like at the party, his lips began to play with Jemma's. His tongue tickled hers. His teeth bit her lower lip. Jemma was already starting to undo the buttons on his shirt, sliding her hands towards the belt of his pants. The fever possessed them and it was difficult to stop. Leo could have made love to her in the lab, he was certain that Jemma would not have been against.

But with incredible strength, he pushed her away from him, took a deep breath.

“You're driving me crazy,” he said with a smile. “But we can't do that here.”

Jemma breathed a frustrated sigh.

“Another man would not have had the same reasonable reaction as you”, she said, looking at him.

Leo took her face between his palms and looked at her.

“You deserve an exceptional night of love”, he said solemnly. “And I'll give you that. Patience.”

Jemma's heart faltered. How could she deserve a man like that? She gave Fitz a quick kiss on his mouth and hugged him against her. Fitz buried his face in her neck, smelling her perfume. 

Then he noticed the bag on the table.

“Did you bring lunch?” he asked, standing up.

“I thought it would have been lunch but...”

Jemma went to the table with a smirk.

“Honey chicken with rice,” she said, pointing to the boxes. “It's very good.”

“I believe you,” Leo replied with a smile. “Jemma?” 

She looked up at him. And he took the opportunity to cover her with a burning look. He loved how she was dressed: pants, purple silk shirt, black blazer with leather sleeves. She was divine as always.

“You're really beautiful today.”

“Only today?” Jemma replied, teasing him. “Come on, eat. An adventure awaits us in a few hours and I'm looking forward to it.”

Leo walked to her, dropped a little kiss on her forehead and sat down for lunch. He too was looking forward to starting the Inhuman experiment.

* * *

Leo was cleaning a corner of the room to prepare for the future Inhuman experiments when someone knocked. Jemma ordered them to enter and Agent May came inside, greeting them before approaching.

“Madam, Sir, the Inhuman has arrived. We took him to Special Interrogation Room number 1. Agents Johnson and Ward are with him.”

“Good job, Agent May,” congratulated Madame Hydra, while pulling on her jacket. “Doctor Fitz and I will proceed with the interrogation.”

“Yes, Madam.”

May left the lab and Leo turned to Jemma.

“You sure you want to come?” he asked, a little worried.

“I won't miss this. I’ve waited so long.”

“Okay, let's go then.”

They took the elevator to level 1. Leo buttoned his jacket and flattened his hair with his hand. Jemma gave him a look and smirked. He was so sexy and powerful right now. She was so happy that the things were about to begin.

They walked to the interrogation room and watched the Inhuman through the tinted glass. He was seated and tied to the chair, his eyes turned to Agents Johnson and Ward, his face bruised. Apart from that, his appearance was the same as a human. Maybe he had eleven toes or two hearts? But when you looked at him, he was absolutely normal. Not surprising that Inhumans could blend into the mass and not be immediately recognized.

They entered the room under the salutes of Agents Johnson and Ward. They both ignored them and Leo approached the table to take the folder of the Inhuman while Jemma looked at the Inhuman with hatred.

“Madame,” Ward said as he approached to her. “I would like to say that Team A found the Inhuman before Team B.”

Madame HYDRA turned to him, with her cold eyes.

“I wanted to... just to clarify it, Madame,” Ward said, looking down.

“Why is the Inhuman like this?” Leo asked.

“He tried to struggle so I had to stop him.”

Leo observed him at length silently.

“What's on your belt, Agent Ward?”

“I'm sorry, sir. It's that I'm used to using my fists instead of my gun.”

Leo nodded with a grimace.

“For an elite shooting expert, it's a shame not to use the weapons I make available to you.”

Ward did not answer. Leo turned to Skye.

“Agent Johnson, can you explain to me why Team A and Team B were on the same field?” 

“I passed the coordinates on both teams. Agent Ward and his team joined Team B immediately, in case the Inhuman was out of control, and the capture was made then.”

Jemma watched them, silent, cold. Leo turned to the Inhuman.

“Did he use any power?”

“Yes,” Skye replied. “He seemed to have great speed.”

Jemma's hateful gaze fell on the Inhuman sat on the chair. He raised his dark eyes towards her. He didn't seem worried or scared.

Leo beckoned the two agents to leave the room. Then he went to wait in the corner of the room to read the file, leaving Jemma to get that first minute of glory.

It was the first Inhuman she had seen since the night of her parents' death. Like the first time, nothing seemed to differentiate him from other human beings. This one must have had distant Indian origins, dark eyes, and black hair. He was young, barely in his thirties. His face was mangled and skinned, which did not worry Jemma. She would have done him much worse if she had been in Agent Ward's shoes. A deep anger and boundless hatred rose in her heart. This abomination would be the first to know her revenge.

“His name is Vijay Nadeer,” Fitz said, bringing her out of her thoughts. “He is the brother of Senator Nadeer.”

She turned to him, astonished. Leo nodded and approached them.

“It seems that we have Inhumans even in the highest spheres of politics.”

Jemma observed Vijay, who gave her a dark look. Finally, a flash of panic passed through his eyes. Jemma appreciated it.

“Perhaps we should arrest Senator Nadeer, too?” Fitz suggested.

“Don't touch my sister!” Vijay growled.

“Very protective,” underlined Fitz with a smile before leaning towards the Inhuman.

“How long have you known that you're an Inhuman?”

Vijay remained silent.

“How did you come into contact with Terrigenesis?” 

Vijay still did not answer.

“What's your power?”

Still nothing. Madame Hydra approached Vijay, her hands on her hips, eyes cold.

“Patience is not really my friend,” she said in a threatening tone.

Vijay watched her with his dark eyes, still keeping his silence.

“Is your sister also an Inhuman, Vijay?”

Suddenly, Jemma had an enlightening idea. Why didn't she think about it earlier?! She could have found Inhumans so much faster that way. DNA tests. She had a huge idea sprouting in her head to set up this quick method. With that, she would be able to identify lots of Inhumans!

Leo turned to her and noticed her face. She looked into the void and seemed to think like a machine. Looking at her, it seemed that she had just found something: her face expressed a flash of genius.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

Jemma raised her head, excited by her idea. She had to deal with it immediately. Fitz would have to take care of the experiment while she created her tests.

“I have an idea,” she said. “But I don't want to wait for him. Let's start the experiment. I want quick results.”

Leo would have liked to know what she was thinking, but he thought she would tell him about it later, after the experiment. He turned to press a button. Two soldiers entered, waiting for orders.

“Take this Inhuman to Madame HYDRA's lab,” Leo ordered. “And attach him to the machine.”

The two soldiers nodded and Vijay glanced at Leo. He was starting to get scared.

“We'll meet in a few moments, Vijay.”

Vijay was taken out of the room, struggling. Leo grabbed the file and turned to Jemma.

“You okay?”

“Let’s go!” she said, impatient.

She left the room and Leo followed her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, this chapter contains violence and minor death scenes.

“Comfortable?”

Leo leaned towards Vijay, lying on the examination table in his underwear. With a sudden gesture, he tightened the straps that held him down.

“What are you going to do to me?” Vijay asked, struggling.

“Everything will be fine, don't get agitated,” Leo replied, adjusting the machine one last time.

“Let me go! Being Inhuman isn’t a crime.”

“Of course, it is,” Jemma retorted coldly. She observed him from her seat on the desk, arms crossed. “We can’t let creatures like you spread your disease across the earth.”

Vijay looked at her with frightened eyes.

“If you touch our powers, Terrigenesis will be activated!”

“Not with this machine,” Leo replied with a small smile. “We will be able to test your powers without side effects, and then we will extract a sample.”

“No!” Vijay screamed and struggled harder.

Leo turned to the control panel and pressed a few buttons.

“You still don't want to tell me what your power is?”

Vijay struggled over and over again. Leo pressed the "on" button. The gigantic arms of the machine activated and advanced towards Vijay. Several needles penetrated Vijay's skin: his torso, arms, stomach, thighs.

Vijay screamed as the machine operated and his body turned red and incandescent.

Leo walked to his computer. Little by little, the machine sent him a stream of numerical codes and scientific analysis.

Vijay screamed again.

Jemma was looking at him, satisfied, while a lot of painful memories popped up in her mind.

Leo, stoic and cold, cruel as the Devil, paid no attention to his pain. Vijay's screams and complaints had no impact on him. He was completely airtight to the young man's pain. All that mattered was that the project worked, and that Jemma got her revenge.

Another howl and Vijay hiccupped.

Leo looked up at him. He was about to pass out. _Weak little creatures_ , Jemma thought.

The computer beeped and Leo smiled as he watched the result.

“Interesting power,” he murmured before taking a look at Vijay.

Jemma turned her head to him.

“He possesses speed of movement. Even his heart is faster than a normal human.” 

Jemma looked at Vijay with disgust. Leo went back to the control panel and pressed a new button. The one he was looking forward to using: power extraction.

A new arm of the machine activated and the needle penetrated Vijay's body to extract a blood sample containing the Inhuman DNA.

Vijay screamed and tried to escape from the machine.

“You won't win!” he screamed at them. “Free the Inhumans!”

Jemma's blood turned cold. In her mind, she heard again the voice of the woman who had killed her parents. Her rage invaded her completely, and out of control she quickly approached the machine, pushing Fitz away. She growled like mad as she pressed the "end" button. Leo yelled to stop, then pushed her away from the control panel, he tried to stop it, but the machine was already on. The arm of the machine stuck in Vijay activated.

“No! No!” Fitz screamed, trying to stop it. But it was too late. 

Suddenly, Vijay's heart rate beeped furiously. He writhed violently on the table, howled, then his heartbeat dropped to 0. A continuous beep announced Vijay's death.

“Happy?!” Leo yelled at Jemma. “We're not even sure we got his power because of your stupid reaction!”

Jemma turned to him, hysterical.

“He deserved to die! And it was not enough!”

“That's not how I proceed! This is my work!”

“I'm your superior!”

“You're just a stupid little girl who can't control her revenge!”

Jemma walked to him and tried to slap him, but Leo caught her wrist before she could do it.

“Don't even dare try again,” he threatened her, coldly.

Jemma shook off his hand and pushed him away.

“Clean this up!” she ordered before walking to the exit.

The door slammed behind her. Leo sighed, trying to calm down. She had just ruined their first experiment.

Slowly, he went to the panel and turned off each of the buttons, then retrieved the blood sample. Fortunately, the machine had time to take some of Vijay's power. He paid no attention to the lifeless body of the man next to him.

Returning to his desk, he wrote the name of the Inhuman and her power on the sample vial. Then he put it in the little fridge behind him. The first of many to come.

Finally, he straightened up, rebuttoned his jacket and flattened his hair before leaving the laboratory, without turning to the inert body behind him. He needed fresh air before going to see Jemma.

* * *

Jemma was in another of her laboratories, one of those in which she worked outside of her personal projects. The idea she had had earlier in the interrogation room was how to uncover Inhumans all around her. She thought for a while. Perhaps there were a lot of inactivate Inhumans in HYDRA? Jemma was nauseous. She refocused on the test she was creating.

Modifying a classic blood test, Jemma incorporated a piece of the Terrigene Crystal she was keeping. Her mind thought again to the Inhuman. She had killed him. Just with a simple gesture, just like the woman who had killed her parents.

It was not a great loss; he would have died anyway. She told herself she did not regret anything when Fitz entered the lab.

“You're here,” he said, almost relieved.

Jemma ignored him, focused on her work. Fitz approached her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, observing her. He noticed a small piece of crystal was missing. “Did you touch that thing with your hands?”

Jemma didn't answer him, focused on her work. Leo sighed.

“Jemma, I know I’ve been hard but you made a mistake.”

Jemma still didn't look at him.

“Jemma, look at me.” 

He forced her to step back from her work. Jemma growled and gave him a cold look through her protective glasses.

“What are you doing with that?” Fitz said, pointing to the crystal.

“None of your business!”

“Yes, it is my business. You suddenly left after killing an Inhuman and now you're manipulating that crystal. It's dangerous.”

Jemma sighed, irritated, took off her protective glasses. She really had her Madame HYDRA face on right now.

“I did what I had to do, Leopold! I'm your boss and you better understand that! So shut your fucking mouth and obey me like the fucking minion you are!”

A flash of fury passed through Fitz. His face showed that he had been hurt. Without a word, he turned on his heel to leave the laboratory.

Jemma realized how far she had gone and cursed herself for hurting him. She turned to him, sad and sorry. 

“Please, forgive me, Fitz!” she said, sincerely. “I'm so stressed and sad that I'm rude to you.”

Fitz stopped before opening the door. She feared that he would stay angry at her. But Leo turned around, his dark eyes on her.

“This is the last time you insult me like that, do you understand?” he said, dryly.

“I'm sorry,” Jemma apologized. “You are the smartest man I know, and you and I are equal. I should listen to you. I'm sorry. It's just me being a.... monster.”

Leo gave her a grimace, annoyed to hear her say that. He approached her to take her in his arms. Jemma snuggled up to him, clinging at him like a lifeline.

“You are the only one who understands me in this project and I am horrible to you... I lost my mind.”

“Let's forget about it,” he said. “Tell me what you were doing.”

Jemma nodded and turned to the table.

“I had the idea of a blood test to discover new Inhumans. I’m in the process of modifying the analysis case so that when the blood is collected, it comes into contact with the piece of crystal. The goal is to give us a positive or negative result instantly without causing transformation.”

Fitz observed Jemma's idea at length. Brilliant. That's all he could think of. It was true that she could have thought of its years earlier, but it didn’t matter, her idea would be hugely progressive.

“Do you think it's stupid?” Jemma asked, worried about his silence.

“Not at all. I was just thinking... If your test works, we may discover heaps of sleeping Inhumans around us. I'm going to have so much work that we might not see each other much.”

A smile appeared on Leo's lips. Jemma returned it to him and approached to kiss him.

“There's no way you're going too far from me, Dr. Fitz.”

“Is that an order, ma'am?”

“It will lead to punishment if you don't respect it.”

A new smile stretched on Leo's lips. Jemma's gaze fizzled. Fitz did not smile much, but when he did, he became the most magnificent man on this earth. It was hard for Jemma not to lose control.

“Ugh, go back to where you came from, you distract me when you smile like that.”

Fitz scoffed and kissed her forehead.

“See you later,” he said before leaving the lab.

Jemma quickly got back to work. She hoped to have an effective first test within two days. To do this, she needed to use the holotable and 3D printer. If it worked, she'd have to order thousands of tests from her official supplier.

She hoped with all her might that it would work.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, this chapter contains minor explicit scenes.

The days passed without Leo and Jemma seeing each other very much. Leo was now working on the HYDRA Super Serum, which would inject the superpowers of the Inhumans into the soldiers of HYDRA, while waiting for new Inhumans to be experimented on. Alas, Ward and May's teams did not seem to be performing well.

May had confided in him that her husband, Andrew Garner, Director of a psychiatric institute, had heard about the hunt against the Inhumans and that they were hiding for their safety. This had annoyed Leo who had therefore reassessed the capabilities of his Anti-Inhumans Unit. There were no teams left, all its agents were gone. Agent Ward had been demoted and Agent May now lead the team; Agent Johnson was now authorized to hack all social networks, web pages, and medical and social services databases. Agent Hunter was now in charge of the tracking on the West side, while Agent Ward was in charge of the East sector. Agent Morse, who had proved interesting in the field, was now tasked with infiltrating the various sectors and posing as an Inhuman if needed.

As for Jemma, she passed her time between her Madame HYDRA duties and her work on the blood tests. Even if the latter progressed well, she had to wait for the last positive results before the 3D design launch. And that took a little too long for her liking, something that put her in a murderous mood every time. The only person who sometimes managed to calm her down was Fitz- on the rare occasion that she could see him. Even the little texts that he left her to encourage her could not calm her down. Her only antidepressant was his physical presence and without it, she was a ball of nerves, ready to explode.

Something seemed to happen that day.

A little before lunchtime, Jemma took off her lab coat, adjusting her clothes before leaving the lab to join her office. She still had to make an important call with her supplier for the blood test order.

When she entered her office, she was surprised to see William sit on the couch, sipping a glass of whisky.

“It's been a long time,” he says with a smile. “I thought you'd forgotten about me.”

“Get out of here right now,” she said as she walked to her desk. “This is the last time you enter without permission.”

“Nice welcome,” William said. “Are you still mad at me?”

She ignored him, searching in her notebook for the supplier's phone number.

Suddenly she felt a hand caressing her butt and with a sudden movement, she turned to William and slapped him violently in the face.

“Don't touch me!” she said in a menacing voice, her eyes furious.

“What's wrong with you?” William retorted, with one hand on his cheek. “I've known you more open!”

“Listen to me, you jerk. You and me? It's over. You don't touch me, you don't look at me, you don't see me. Is that clear?”

“Oh,” William exclaimed, amused. “I see Grandma's been here. What else did she ask you?”

“Get out of here,” Jemma ordered.

“Baby, you're in a bad mood, you're going to be fine. Just relax a little. You obviously need it. I can help.”

William observed her at length before sighing.

“I see,” he nodded. “You're now playing with your little doctor. What's his name again? Fritz?”

“For the last time: leave this office.”

“You can't forget me, Jemma. You and I, we have a long story together. You'll come back to me, soon.”

“If there's something you don't understand, William, it's that when I erase someone from my life, it's forever.”

William shook his head with a little smile.

“You think this mosquito is gonna to send you to Paradise? He has nothing you like about a man.”

Jemma gave him a smirk.

“He burned my soul just with a kiss, Sweetheart. I can't imagine what he'll be capable of when we make love. Something you never knew to do, right?” 

William stopped smiling. He looked at Jemma, upset. 

“You'll come back to me,” he said. “I swear, you'll come back.”

“Get out, now.”

He looked at her for a long minute, then stepped forward to get out.

“And don't come back,” Jemma ordered, turning around. “You're fired.” 

She heard William vaguely whispering something before going out without closing the door behind him. In the hallway, his voice was loud enough to hear him flirting with Lorelei.

Jemma ignored him and went to sit down to make her call.

* * *

Leo urgently needed to see Jemma. He could cope with them not seeing each other for several hours at work but being apart for days were just unbearable. He desperately needed to see her, touch her, kiss her, hear her voice... Even if she was grumpy. He had not missed that, everyone seemed to be in her bad books. Jemma's mood seemed to be so murderous since this morning that even the employees were discussing it. Leo was certain that the information had been disclosed by Lorelei. That idiot couldn't stop herself from gossiping.

As he walked to Jemma's office, he noticed that Lorelei was absent. All the better, he really couldn't bear for her to tell everyone that the Doctor was bringing tea to the Director. Leo had bought it just before coming in. He hoped that this little gesture would please Jemma and relax her a little. And then he had an announcement to make. He hoped she would not decline it because of her busy schedule.

Without even knocking, Leo entered. Jemma turned her back, so deeply focused on reading a file that she did not even hear him enter. A smile passed over his lips and he put the goblet on the desk before approaching gently.

His arms wrapped her waist, and Jemma startled, tensed, ready to give another avalanche of blows when she realized it was Fitz.

“I missed you so much,” Fitz whispered against her neck, kissing it tenderly.

Jemma breathed a sigh of appeasement, shivering with pleasure. All her anger, her stress, her bad mood faded, and she let herself be lulled into Fitz's arms, his heat enveloping her like a cocoon.

“You can't imagine how much I needed this,” she said with a smile.

Fitz chuckled and his laughter sounded like a bell in her ear, accelerating the beat of her heart.

“Yes, I heard you had been meant to your staff all morning.”

She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck while Fitz wrapped her waist, pressing her against him.

“Do I have to fear your bad mood too?” he asked, with a smirk that made Jemma melt.

“Not you,” she said. “You're my good mood.” 

Then she put her lips on his. Fitz kissed her passionately. Jemma couldn't help but stick her hands in his hair, drawing him to her to prolong his passionate kiss.

“Gently,” Fitz warned her, backing away a little, his lips pink. “Or it's going to get out of hand.”

“It's going to have to get out of hand someday,” she said, mischievously.

Leo felt a nervousness take hold of him.

“I don't know if this is a typical British habit but I have the impression that you are trying to force me to cross the horizon with you, Miss Simmons.”

“Are you saying that we will cross the horizon if we sleep together?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“Uh, yes,” Fitz replied, uncomfortable, biting his lip. “Sorry, I don't often talk about sex with a woman... It was stupid...”

His hand pinched the tip of his ear, like a shameful little kid. Jemma smiled at him.

“I find it very romantic, actually,” she said, reaffirming her arms around his neck. “You and I, making love in the stars...”

For the first time, she noticed Fitz blushing. Seeing him so troubled melted her heart and she could not help kissing his lips.

“I thought we could have dinner tonight,” he said, stepping away from her to return to the desk.

He handed her the goblet of lemon tea he had bought for her.

“I was planning on making you dinner and finally spending the evening together, to relax. But if you're busy... I understand.”

His attitude was totally different. From cold or grumpy, he revealed to her that he was shy, hesitant, restless, stressed. Yet she was pleased with his request. He wanted to make her dinner. How could she say no to that? No man had ever done that for her.

“Of course, it won't be a gourmet meal worthy of a five-star restaurant and will be in my small apartment downtown with no elevator but... I... Finally, I can try... And... I mean, I'd understand if you don't want to.”

“Fitz...” she said, approaching with a smile. “Breathe.”

She really didn't want to start laughing, but he was so cute. It was something she had never seen of him before and she thought it was one of the best ways to look at him. She took the goblet from Fitz's trembling hands and laid it on the desk. Then she took his hands. And Leo glanced at her, completely worried.

“I'll come,” she said with a broad smile. “It doesn't matter if it's not the menu of a star chef or in a villa. All that matters is that we are together.”

Leo observed her at length and breathed a sigh of relief. She'd come. That's all that mattered.

“All right,” he said, relieved. “I'll send you my address, so you can come whenever you want.”

“I can't wait to be there,” Jemma replied, kissing his cheek.

He nodded, a little reassured.

“I'm going back to work now.”

Jemma nodded with a smile, stole a quick kiss, and followed him with her eyes until he left the office.

Yes, she was definitely in love with this man.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, this chapter contains non-explicit mature and adults scenes.

Leo was panicking. Literally. For the first time in fifteen years, he had curled up on himself, his head bowed, his hand on his heart, beating like a fool in his chest.

Why did he say he'd make dinner?! What an idiot!

The lamb shank he had bought and cooked was now as black as most of his suits. He had been so busy setting the table and making his small apartment a romantic place that he had neglected the meat. Now it was too late to go and buy another one!

Jemma was going to make fun of him. Worse. She was going to see that he was an incompetent fool. What relationship could she want from a guy who didn't even know how to cook meat?!

The doorbell rang.

Leo raised his head, pale and panicked. For a second, he thought he'd take Jemma to dinner at a restaurant. It would be better than to show her his failure.

He walked to the door and took a huge breath before opening it.

He stopped breathing, froze with his mouth opened.

Jemma saw how he couldn't take off his eyes from her, his blue eyes stars twinkling with desire. His gaze glided over her body, wrapped in the same burgundy red dress she wore at the party, like a burning caress, and stopped on her bare legs. He could not help passing his tongue over his lips, as if he were hungry. Jemma blushed and loved his burning eyes on her.

She observed him too. He was wearing classic jeans and a white shirt. It was the first time she had seen him dressed in anything other than a suit. And he was so hot. How could a man like him be so simple but so attractive at the same time? His hair was messed, his lower lip a little blistered, as if he had bitten it several times.

“Good evening,” she said with a little smile. “I brought the wine.”

She showed the bottle and Fitz seemed to return to reality abruptly before sighing.

“I burned the dinner,” he said, covering his eyes with his hand.

Jemma frowned, then squinted her nose. She now smelled a smell of burning behind him. Fitz seemed so unhappy that she wanted to take him in her arms and comfort him.

“I'm just a fucking idiot!” he said, raising his head.

“Fitz...”

“I told you I was going to make dinner and I'm not even able...”

“Fitz.”

“I'm going to take you out for dinner, at least you'll know that the guy you're dating is just a je...”

“Fitz!”

Leo looked up at her, short of breath, with a sad look.

“Are you going to leave me on the landing all evening?”

Leo frowned, then let her in with a sigh.

Jemma entered the apartment, going across the hallway into the living room. Her heart leaped into her chest. Fitz had set up the table in a beautifully romantic way: a white tablecloth covered with red rose petals, two white candles on each side and a bouquet of red roses where she should sit.

Jemma felt like her heart was going to explode. No man she'd dated before had offered her this. If she wasn’t as strong, she would have started crying.

“It's terrible, I know,” Fitz said behind her. “I don't know why I wanted to try this.”

She turned to him, grabbed his arm to lure him to her. Without waiting, she put her mouth on his to kiss him. Leo gave her a confused look.

“You are the most romantic man I have ever known,” she says with a happy smile.

Leo gave her a grimace.

“But unable to make a dinner. Very romantic...”

“I don't care,” Jemma said, putting her jacket and bag on the couch.

A glance at the floor made her notice the rose petals forming a path to a closed door. A smile appeared on her lips and she turned to Fitz.

“Let's order at Lorenzo's,” she said. “They make delicious pizza.”

“You want to eat pizza?” Leo repeated, surprised.

“I want you to stop worrying about this failed dinner and for us to have a good evening, can you do that?”

Fitz shrugged.

“Whatever you want,” he said, taking his phone. “What do I order?”

“A double four cheeses for me.”

“A double...” he murmured as he dialed the number.

Jemma took a look at his apartment. The room was cute with all the rose petals and candles, but she also saw some of Fitz’s personal belongings: lots of scientists’ books, a shelve only for cosmology books; she couldn't help but smile. There were many baby rhesus monkeys. They were everywhere, whether they were trinkets, paintings, or pictures. For a moment, Jemma wondered if Fitz had remained a teenager, and then, watching him, acting like a virile man, she smiled, thinking that she herself had her passions and that he would probably say the same thing in front of her butterfly collection. However, there was no pictures of him or his family. No friends. He was like her. Alone. Introverted. Absorbed in his work. 

“Twenty minutes,” Leo said, turning to her.

Jemma nodded and went to the table. She uncorked the bottle of wine and served them in the two balloon glasses on the table.

Leo watched her, admiring her body.

“I feel your gaze on me,” Jemma said with a smirk.

“You're stunning,” Leo replied as he approached to her. “I love it when you’re wearing red. I also love your bare legs…”

“Oh, really?” Jemma asked with a smirk, turning to him to give him his drink.

“Yeah, it’s one of my weaknesses.”

“Bare legs?”

“No, yours. Everything about you is a weakness...”

“I'm glad to know it. Now I'll know how to keep you with me. Good thing that I don't have to use chains.”

She gave him an evil amused look and Leo laughed. Jemma's heart beat faster and she gave him a heart eyes look.

“You should laugh more often. You're so handsome when you smile.”

Fitz shook his head, smiled, and toasted her. Then he took her hand and kissed her before tying his fingers to her own.

“I wanted this first date to be a success,” he said. “And I see that despite my mistakes, you're still here.”

“Do you think I'd leave?” 

“Yes. I'm not like any man you've ever met. I would say that I have two personalities. One who is constantly on edge, cold, competing with myself, and another who remains the idiot who panics at the slightest uncontrollable thing. You've seen both sides of me.”

“And I love each of them,” Jemma said smiling at him. “Fitz, you don't have to apologize for who you are. You're brilliant, ambitious, protective, faithful... romantic. And who knows what else you're going to show me about yourself.”

Jemma put her glass on the table, plunged her gaze into Fitz's.

“So, yes, you are completely different from all the men with whom I have had an affair,” Jemma continued. “But there's a huge difference between you and these men. None of them have ever made me feel like a princess as you did with me.”

Leo observed her, his breath taken away, his heart banging in his chest like a madman.

“A princess? You think I make you feel like a princess? I’m not anything like a prince...”

“I fell in love with you, Fitz. And I don't want it to stop. You're my prince, who fell from the sky.”

Leo's heart twisted with happiness. Only Jemma's desire and love mattered at that moment. 

Without waiting, he grabbed Jemma by her waist and pressed his lips to her own. Jemma answered his kiss with an uncontrollable zeal, foddering her fingers into his hair. Then they stepped back for a moment to catch their breath. Fitz did not hesitate and he drew Jemma with him to the room, kicking the door to open it. Then, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her again.

The fire was burning them. Their bodies were bubbling. Desire consumed them. Jemma felt her knees slip under her when Fitz began kissing her the neck.

“Oh, Fitz!” she moaned as he bit her skin.

Then she straightened up to capture his lips, she kissed him back passionately, until their tongues danced together. Her hands unbuttoned Fitz's shirt, and she threw it somewhere across the room.

Leo growled when Jemma's fingers stroked his torso. She had cold hands but he didn't care, he only had Jemma in mind. Jemma, her mouth on his, her hands exploring his body.

Jemma stepped back a little to look at Fitz. He was so handsome and hot. His body asserted itself with protruding muscles. She wanted to kiss each inch of his body. Under his three-piece suits, he hid an attractive body that made her to lose her mind.

“You are so warm”, she said, caressing his torso.

Leo put his hands on her shoulders, glanced at her deeply. Jemma felt hypnotized again. She clung to him as he undressed her, let her dress fall on the floor.

He took a breath.

Fitz's gaze sparkled brightly when he laid his eyes on Jemma's body and his mouth opened into a little "o.". She was the embodiment of beauty. A flawless Aphrodite.

“You're perfect...” he murmured in a hoarse voice.

Jemma smiled, blushed, and felt her heart accelerate. Leo kissed her again, running his hands over her body. She was so soft. Soft as silk. Jemma felt long shivers running through her body and clung to him.

Leo drew her to him, ready to throw himself on the bed when the bell ring rang on the other side of the room.

“The pizzas,” Leo murmured, turning his head to the door.

“Forget the pizzas,” Jemma retorted, grabbing his face. “You promised me the horizon!”

She kissed his mouth while the bell began to ring again and again. Leo growled like a madman as she passed from his mouth to his neck, kissing his skin with a disconcerting greed.

Then, Leo tipped her over on the bed. His lips captured Jemma's. His body pressed against her, but Jemma had something else in mind. She pushed Fitz away so he lay on his back and sat down on his hips. Leo felt like he was going to faint. He was looking at a beautiful angel from all her height.

Jemma gave him a smile, happy and loved, and then, without wasting a second, took the decision to cross the horizon with him.

The Doctor and Madame HYDRA. Leo and Jemma. Fitz and Simmons. They had just crossed the point of no-return together.


	14. Chapter 14

Jemma awoke softly to the sweet smell of breakfast. She looked for Fitz but he must have been in the kitchen. He had left his shirt on the edge of the bed and covered Jemma with the blanket so she wouldn’t get cold. A smile of happiness stretched on her lips as she remembered the crazy night of love she had spent with Fitz. A night of exceptional love that had sealed their relationship forever.

For the first time in her life, Jemma realized that what was going on with Fitz would not be just a one-night stand. She loved him. Deeply. She had never felt that way for a man, but Fitz gave her everything she had once hoped to find in a relationship. She didn't want anyone else now. She only wanted Fitz. Fully.

Jemma stayed stretched out in bed for a long time and stood up to take Fitz's shirt. She quickly went to the bathroom and found that her night had done quite a bit of damage to her face. She hoped Fitz hadn’t seen her that way when he woke up. She was scary. Quickly, she passed water on her face, tried to tame her hair. It was a little better but very neglected. Fitz would want to run away when he saw her.

“A cup of tea and a croissant?” he asked on the doorstep.

She turned to him, sheepish, waiting for a reaction she did not expect. Fitz had his eyes fixed on her body and his mouth formed a little "o". She had too often seen this reaction to believe that he thought she was horrible to look at. On the contrary, for him, she was divine. And seeing her in his shirt gave him the desire to make love once again.

A smile stretched out on her lips and she approached him, taking the mug and croissant in her hands.

“Good morning, hot boy,” she said, crunching into the croissant.

“You are so beautiful,” he said in a hoarse voice.

She laughed, drank her tea before sighing with satisfaction.

“It feels so good to drink tea.”

Fitz grabbed her waist and stole her a kiss. She laughed.

“I didn't even brush my teeth, Fitz.”

“I don't care,” he replied, kissing her on the cheek. “You're too beautiful for me to resist you.”

She smiled at him, took him with her into the kitchen. Fitz did not stop staring at her, lingering on her bare legs.

“I have to go home before going to work,” Jemma said, finishing the croissant. “I'm starving, it's crazy.”

“Me too,” Fitz replied, mischievously.

“I notice you are less nervous than yesterday.” She said with a smirk.

“I look less stupid,” he admitted. “It's your fault.”

Jemma smiled at him, watching him over her mug. Fitz's cell phone rang and he grabbed it.

“May tells me they've just found a new Inhuman near Los Angeles. They're taking them back to the lab.”

“Very good news,” Jemma exclaimed as she laid down her mug. “I have to go. I need to see if my blood tests are available.”

“Lunch together?” Fitz asked.

“I don't know,” she said with a grimace. “I'll text you.”

She went back to Fitz's room to get dressed and came out to pick up her stuff. It was as if she had never spent the night at Leo's.

“Are you taking my shirt?” Fitz said with a smirk.

“A gift of the incredible night of love you gave me,” she replied before kissing him quickly. “See you later.”

“Jemma?”

She turned to him.

“I love you.”

Jemma's heart missed a beat. She gave Fitz a huge smile, then went back to kiss him.

“I love you too, Fitz.”

A smile appeared on Fitz's lips. She kissed him one last time before forcing herself to leave. He had an unfortunate habit of deflecting her from her schedule. Fitz held her hand until she let go and left the apartment with a heart swollen with happiness. Fitz was the man she loved. And he felt exactly the same way.

* * *

As he entered the laboratory where the newly captured Inhuman was waiting for him, Leo was surprised to find Peggy leaning over the young woman, studying her with a scornful look. Peggy turned to him.

“What are you doing here?” Leo asked as he approached the desk, unfazed.

“I've heard that the experiments on the Inhumans have begun. I wanted to see how it goes.”

“Does Jemma know you're here?”

“Jemma...” Peggy repeated with a scornful smile. “I see that you are still in love with her.”

Leo looked up at her without answering.

“It's strange,” Peggy said with a little smile.

“To discover what love is?” Leo scoffed.

“Rather that she chose you. You are absolutely not the kind of boy she usually dates.”

“I guess I have something that other people haven't.”

“Or something she can only get from you.”

Leo controlled himself from exploding with anger, keeping his eyes fixed on the computer.

“This, for example,” Peggy continued, pointing to the Inhuman. “An ambitious project that would test your little scientific abilities. A little puppy who would not hesitate to do what she wants. So manipulative...”

Leo looked up at her, boiling inside. If he could cut Peggy's head off right now, he would do it without any hesitation. He tried to calm down, but what Peggy told him rang in his head like a striped record. A doubt suddenly invaded him.

“You're not the first, you know, Leopold.”

“It's Doctor,” Leo retorted between his teeth.

“Before you, there was Milton, then Antoine, William...”

“That's enough!” Leo scolded, furious.

Peggy smiled at him, then nodded.

“As you wish, Leopold. I just wanted to warn you. Jemma is manipulative. She would do anything to get what she wants. I know what I'm talking about. I raised her that way.”

Leo clenched his teeth, closed his eyes for a moment. His body was shaking, he was so eager to strangle her... He took a breath and when he opened his eyes, his gaze fell on the Inhuman. He would regain calm by conducting his experiment. If that viper ever shut up!

Taking a deep breath, he went to the Inhuman and plugged the machine in. Peggy got closer.

“Why she wasn't in the interrogation room first? When I ran HYDRA, we questioned the enemies before torturing them.”

“We can interrogate her over here. No need to waste our time.” Leo retorted as he turned the settings on.

“Nice machine,” Peggy joked. “How much did it cost HYDRA? I guess my granddaughter doesn't think about money when it comes to this stupid project.”

“This stupid project, as you say, is going to change the world.”

“She’s certainly convinced you of that...”

Leo walked towards the Inhuman, checked the straps and removed the bundle of cloth she had in her mouth.

“Please!” she begged him with a Spanish accent. “Por favor. Let me go! I won’t say anything. Mister. Nada.”

Leo beckoned her to shut up and went to the control panel on which he pressed a button. The machine activated; the gigantic arms headed towards the Inhuman.

“Your name,” Leo asked, looking at her.

The Inhuman hesitated, fear in her eyes.

“I hate to repeat myself,” Leo said in a serious voice.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Peggy mocking him about the situation. He preferred to ignore her.

“Your name!” Leo yelled, annoyed.

“Maria... Maria Lopez.”

“How long have you known you're an Inhuman?”

Maria hesitated.

“Is it really necessary to know that?” Peggy asked, her hands on her hips. “What does it matter to know, since this creature will die anyway?”

Leo threw her a black look, lips pinched. This viper annoyed him when she criticized his work and methods.

“Die?” the Inhuman exclaimed, frightened.

Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He couldn’t get mad at Peggy or Jemma would be angry at him and their happiness would quickly end.

“What is your power?” Leo asked to Maria.

“I have no power... I don't know what you're talking about...”

Peggy shook her head. Leo approached the Inhuman.

“You've been located,” he said in low voice. “So, there's no need to play the amnesia card. What is your power?!”

Maria shook her head, panicked.

“But I have no power, I swear. I... I am just an immigrant. I have done nothing wrong. I didn't want to, but the smuggler told me I had nothing to fear...”

Leo stared at her, frowning. What was this Inhuman talking about? Peggy came close to her.

“I advise you to talk, you creature of evil, or I'll make you spit it out myself! You're an Inhuman!

“I have no powers!” the young woman repeated, panicked. “No soy una Inhumana... Inmigrante.”

Leo felt his blood freeze in his veins. It was impossible. That young woman must have been lying. His team had found her at the location point. Peggy looked at him with a face of contempt.

“You're lying! You're an Inhuman! Admit it!”

“No, no,” the young woman continued, her eyes full of tears.

“You were found in your house!” Leo yelled nearby.

“It wasn't my house...” the young woman admitted. “The smuggler told me that I could live there...”

Leo couldn't believe it, incredulous.

“The smuggler!” Peggy repeated. “He was your Inhuman! You idiot!” 

She turned on her heels to leave the lab. Leo watched her walk away, his heart pounding, his mind blurred. He could not believe that he had made a mistake, that they had captured an innocent woman and let a true Inhuman go. The consequences were going to be terrible if this guy ever revealed what HYDRA was planning to do. Worse. Jemma was going to be furious.

A flash of rage passed through his face. Without wasting time, he grabbed his phone and dialed Agent May's number. She answered immediately.

“Sir?”

“Reunite the whole unit in the meeting room! Immediately!” 

May did not have time to reply. He had already hung up. Furious, he sent the pile of folders on the desk away, and left the lab, abandoning the young woman to her sad fate.


	15. Chapter 15

When Leo entered the meeting room, the whole team was already gathered and sitting around the table, wondering what the Doctor wanted from them. Still furious, Leo turned to them, a murderous look in his eyes.

“Which one of you caught this Inhuman?”

The members of the unit all fell silent. Leo slammed the table.

“Who?!”

“It's me, sir.”

Leo threw a black look at Ward.

“Tell me, Agent Ward, why you were wrong about the capture of this young woman?” 

Ward frowned, while the others turned to him, surprised.

“I... I don't understand, sir.”

“You don't understand?” Leo repeated, increasingly furious. “She is not an Inhuman! She's a completely normal young woman!”

“It's impossible,” Ward said. “We had the coordinates of the Inhuman!”

He seemed to think for a moment before taking a look at Skye.

“You have let the real Inhuman run away!” Leo yelled as he approached him. “And your mistake will cost you dearly!”

“Wait,” Ward said, alarmed.

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Leo yelled. “You are fired from this team and believe me, there will be no other team to which you will be a member.”

He turned to May when Ward jumped up, furious.

“I picked up the Inhuman, I was not the only one who’d been tracking her! There was also Johnson and May! Besides, it was Johnson who was the first on the scene!”

Skye, who was just as alarmed, glanced at the Doctor.

“But I have no right to go out into the field”, Skye said. “I only locate the Inhuman, and then you take over!” 

“You fucking...” Ward started.

“Agent May, escort Agent Ward to the fore. I'll take care of him later.”

“Yes, sir.”

May approached Ward to force him to leave the room when Leo received a text: "IN MY OFFICE. IMMEDIATELY!”

He put his phone away. He felt like the trouble kept going like dominoes. He was already having to deal with this, and now Jemma was in a furious temper.

“You,” he said, addressing Agents Morse and Hunter. “Take care of the young woman in the lab. I don't want any witnesses!”

He left the interrogation room to go up to Jemma's office. A ball formed in his belly as he drew closer. Lorelei gave him a compassionate look when he passed her desk. Then, before he entered, he rebuttoned his jacket, flattened his hair and took a deep breath.

When he entered, it was worse.

Peggy was there, standing by the window. Jemma stood at her desk, looking at her screen with her face filled with black anger. She raised her eyes to Leo.

“Before you begin, I want to make it clear that I have found the idiot who...”

“Shut your mouth!” Jemma ordered as he went to the desk.

Leo remained silent. She chose her outfit well this morning. A black suit and her hair tied in a tight bun gave her all the severity she could ever need.

“Do you have any idea of the consequences of your stupidity?!”

Leo took a new breath and got a little closer.

“We're going to find this Inhuman,” he said. “I'm going to send a new, more competent team.”

“You're not going to do anything!” Jemma yelled. “Because your stupid mistake has just been revealed to the whole world!”

With a sudden gesture, she turned the screen of her computer towards him. Leo saw the page of a well-known American TV newspaper. The screen was sending back a tagged wall. He did not understand at first what it was about and then his gaze fell on the title in the red frame: “HYDRA HUNTS THE 'INHUMANS'.”

Leo's heart tightened in his chest and he panicked.

“I... I'll find a way to fix it,” he said, stuttering.

“You will?” Peggy intervened. “By dragging HYDRA through the mud more than ever done before?”

“At least I acted for HYDRA!” Leo retorted, mad with rage. “What have you done all these years, besides sitting your ass in your chair?”

“Under my leadership, there has never been a single mistake!” Peggy replied, venomously. “You appear and everything falls apart! You are just incompetent!”

“I'M A SCIENTIST!” Leo screamed. “Jemma chose me to work alongside her on her project because she saw what I am able to do! Tell her, Jemma!”

He turned to her. Jemma tossed him a bad, silent look.

“TELL HER!” Leo repeated madly.

“Even the best make mistakes,” Peggy said as she approached.

Leo stared at Jemma, gasping. He was waiting for her answer. He wanted her to defend him, for her to take his side. But Jemma kept silent, looking at him with her dark director's gaze.

Suddenly, the words Peggy had said to him about Jemma resonated in his head. He was unable to believe it, unable to believe for a moment that it was so true. But Jemma didn't say anything. She kept her mouth shut, letting Peggy take over the situation.

She addressed her granddaughter.

“I think we should solve this problem before it gets worse. I propose to take the lead and make a report to the press. HYDRA is actually looking for the Inhumans to protect the population from them.”

Jemma was still staring at Leo. Then she turned to her grandmother.

“I'm going to contact reporters,” she said calmly. “Can you take care of the rest?”

“Of course. What about him?”

Leo had not moved, he always stared at Jemma, his eyes full of hope, his breathing heavy.

“Dr. Fitz is no longer fit to work on the Inhuman project.”

Leo felt his heart stop beating. He shook his head, desperate.

“Jemma...”

“It's Madame HYDRA,” Jemma corrected, looking up at him. “My secretary will send you your new assignment within the day. Don't forget to delete all your data on the lab computer. Now get out.”

Leo felt his heart failing. He could not believe that Jemma was doing this. Not her. Not now. Not after all they had been through. Just this morning, they had said they loved each other...

“But I love you...” he said in a broken voice.

“I don’t,” Jemma retorted, staring at him with her dark eyes.

“Jemma...” he murmured, his eyes shining with tears.

“Out,” Madame HYDRA ordered.

She looked at her computer, completely ignoring him. Peggy discreetly displayed a small smile, then turned her back.

Leo swallowed the bile he had in his throat, ready to vomit. He walked slowly towards the exit, clinging to the door when he opened it. He wanted to go back to Jemma but his body was unable to turn to her. His steps led him to Lorelei's office. She turned away when he looked at her. She had probably heard them. Leo walked towards the elevator, mechanically pressed the button. The doors opened and he went inside. Locked in the metal cage, Leo let himself slide against the wall, broken.

Nothing mattered anymore. Jemma hated him. Jemma didn't love him anymore. He had just lost the woman of his life for a stupid location error…


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful, this chapter contains minor violence and mature scenes.

Two days had passed since the event. Jemma had managed to make up for it, thanks to Peggy. But now that the whole world knew that HYDRA was chasing the ‘Inhumans’, the rebellions began. Two groups seemed to have formed: on the one hand, those who absolutely denied the existence of the Inhumans, and on the other, those who vehemently opposed their existence and approved of HYDRA's decisions. " _For the safety of the world, it’s imperative to not let these dangerous people roam the wild without control_." HYDRA had started a war they controlled. But Jemma feared many consequences.

The second positive thing was that the idea of a blood test for the Inhumans had been approved even by the government. They were now starting tests by the thousands and production was swelling. For Jemma to be successful, she couldn’t hope to receive countless tests to analyze at once. She had to increase her numbers, knowing that Dr. Fitz could not manage them all on his own.

Jemma came out of her office and addressed Lorelei.

“Tell Dr. Fitz to send me the first results of the staff anti-Inhuman tests,” she said, taking her mail which, she quickly consulted.

“I'm sorry, ma'am,” Lorelei replied. “Staff tests have not yet taken place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Fitz hasn't come to work since the other day...”

Jemma observed her at length, worried. She began to think quickly. Why didn't Fitz come back? Had something happened to him? She had not heard from him since he left the office. Jemma had had no choice but to do that. Peggy would not have accepted another solution from her.

“Did you try to call him?” Jemma asked.

“No, ma'am.”

“What are you waiting for? Call him!”

Lorelei nodded and quickly dialed Fitz's number. After a few seconds, she shook her head. Jemma worried more.

“I have something to do,” she said, returning to her office to pick up her stuff. “If my grandmother asks where I am, tell her I have an appointment outside with a client.”

Half an hour later, Jemma was at Fitz's apartment. For the second time, she knocked, without getting an answer. Worried, she opened the door, which was not locked.

“Fitz?” she called.

No answer. She entered, walked to the living room; and was blown away by the spectacle that jumped at her eyes: the whole room was ravaged. It looked like a hurricane had swept the apartment. The chairs were toppled, the frames and trinkets thrown to the ground, broken whiskey bottles spilled across the room. Jemma glanced at the kitchen to see the same thing.

Did Fitz do all that?

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her back and turned. Fitz stood on the doorstep of his room. His suit was dirty, torn and wrinkled. His tie hung strangely at his neck; his messy hair let out small curly locks. His face was pale, with huge black pockets under the eyes. A small, still-sharp scratch was on his cheekbone. He smelled of alcohol.

But none of this worried Jemma: it was rather the murderous look that Fitz sent back.

“Fitz,” she began approaching to him.

“It's Dr. Fitz,” he growled, grabbing her throat.

Jemma froze instantly, terrified. How did they get to this point? For a few more days, they loved each other, happy with their new relationship.

Jemma relaxed a little, but Fitz still had her throat in his hand. She had to tell him the truth, explain to him the idea she had and why she hid it from Peggy. He had to know that she still loved him.

“Fitz,” she began softly.

“DR. FITZ!” Leo yelled, squeezing harder, his face twisted by rage.

“Dr. Fitz,” Jemma repeated. “You have to listen to me.”

“You dare to come here after everything you've done to me.”

“There's a misunderstanding about that. Didn't you get my message?”

“You've been very clear. The incompetent was pilloried for the mistake he committed, Madame HYDRA!”

Jemma closed her eyes for a brief moment.

“Fitz, I left you a message in the lab. You didn't see it? It said that " _I had no choice but you should not believe anything of what I said._ ”

“You're lying!”

“No, that is the truth.”

“I didn't see that text!”

“I sent it to you on the Holotable before I texted you on your phone!”

“I WASN'T IN THE LAB AT THE TIME!”

Jemma observed him for a moment. She now understood why Fitz had reacted in this way. He didn't get her message, he believed everything Jemma told him in the office in front of Peggy. But she had only acted as Madame HYDRA. Certainly not as Jemma.

“That explains why you believed each word,” Jemma said with a sigh. “Fitz, I didn't mean them.”

“Shut your mouth!” Leo ordered before squeezing her throat more.

Jemma hiccupped in surprise and uttered a small cry before placing her hands on Fitz's. He was boiling.

“We need to talk about this, Fitz! You have to understand that it was all just a staging for Peggy to believe. She threatened to run HYDRA if I didn't obey her! She would have cancelled our project and who knows what she would have done against you! She's capable of anything, Fitz!”

“You're lying! You're just a bitch who manipulated me to get what you wanted!”

Jemma took a deep breath, tried to untie Fitz's grip around her neck, but Fitz tightened a little more. However, Jemma felt that he was not trying to squeeze harder and his hand was shaking slightly against her throat.

“I love you Fitz,” she said solemnly.

Leo gave her a burning look. The rage controlled his whole body, he only wanted one thing. To make Jemma pay for the harm she had done to him. But Jemma's gaze seemed so sincere…

Leo shook his head, his free hand began to tremble nervously, the one that tightened on Jemma's throat seemed to loosen gently.

“Fitz,” Jemma continued in a soft voice. “I love you as much as I loved my parents. You and I are meant to be together…”

Leo knew how important Jemma’s parents were to her. If there was one thing, he could be certain of, it was that.

“Shut up...” Leo said. “You want to manipulate me again.”

“I swear I don't,” Jemma said, with tears in her eyes.

She put a hand on Leo's chest, on his heart.

“Fitz, you and I are meant to be together. And I want us to be together. But we'll have to be strong. Stronger than our enemies.”

In a desperate gesture, Leo took off his hand off her throat.

Jemma took his face in his hands so he could look at her. She plunged her dark gaze into his, a sad blue ocean.

“Fitz, you and I, we're unstoppable together. Let's show them who we are. The Doctor and Madame HYDRA; Leo and Jemma; Fitz and Simmons.

“Fitz... Simmons,” Leo repeated in a whisper.

“FitzSimmons, yes,” Jemma smiled.

Then she leaned in and kissed Fitz. Leo's heart missed a beat. He wrapped his arms around Jemma's waist to tackle her against him, relishing the warmth of her body, the texture of her lips, the softness of her caress. He thought he'd lost her forever. He kissed her as if it were the first and last time.

“Fitz...” Jemma drew back to catch her breath, a smile on her lips.

“I don't want to...” Leo began. “I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Never again.”

“You'll know it's a lie,” Jemma said. “What I said in the office, my behaviour, it was just a strategy against Peggy.”

“If I could strangle her…” Fitz growled between his teeth.

“I can't let you do that,” Jemma said, her face sad. “She's my grandmother. She's everything my parents left me.”

“I know...,” Leo admitted, looking down.

“Listen to me”, she said, forcing him to look at her a second time. You're going to come back to HYDRA and do the work I asked you to do.”

“I can't ignore you,” Fitz said, shaking his head.

“I know you're strong. Fitz, we'll have to keep our love secret for a while. Once the Inhuman project is complete, Peggy will leave and we can love each other without problem.”

“And we'll do it like that for how long?” Fitz retorted, acerbic. “Peggy comes back and I go back to the closet. And if she introduces you to another man and you...”

“Fitz, stop. That won’t happen. Listen to me. In a few days, the tests will be all over the world. Governments and scientists will snap up my patent and I will become even more powerful than I am today. Peggy will no longer have any power over me.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Jemma gave him a smirk.

“Once I am known all over the world, and my patent with it, I will be at the head of the most powerful organization in the world. If Peggy tries to dethrone me, she'll lose me, but also HYDRA.”

“You are planning a close of non-negotiation with someone other than you.”

“Exactly.”

Fitz nodded, convinced. It was surprisingly brilliant. If Peggy didn’t think that Jemma would ever get to this point, she really didn't know her granddaughter.

“I’ll follow you,” Leo said, without hesitation. Jemma smiled at him.

“You really are the most faithful man I have ever met,” Jemma replied.

“I'd cross the universe for you, you know?”

Jemma smiled, a real smile that warmed her heart and soul. She caught Fitz's face in her hands a second time and kissed him with passion. How she loved him... 

She wanted to find him once again against her, in her arms, completely, so she tipped him over on the bed, falling with him. Leo caught up with her in his arms. Jemma hurried to undo his shirt, took off her coat, and did not stop kissing him. She wanted to unite with Fitz forever. Body, soul, and mind. He'd cross the universe for her. She would overcome space-time to be with him.


	17. Chapter 17

Jemma leaned forwards and grabbed the blouse that Fitz had thrown across the room a little earlier. She had to go back to HYDRA or Peggy was going to be suspicious. Especially if she was trying to find out whether Fitz had come to work, too. A small ball formed in her belly; the plan she had imagined seemed possible but who knew what Peggy was still capable of? Jemma had always known her as a woman of power, strategic and indestructible all her life.

A burning kiss touched her hip.

Jemma smiled as Fitz straightened up to kiss her back with wet kisses.

“Fitz... I have to go.”

“Your skin is so soft,” he said, kissing her shoulder blade.

Jemma bit her lip. He was going to make her lose her mind again if he didn't stop right away. Fitz went up higher towards her shoulder, biting her neck tenderly.

Jemma felt a long shiver of desire running along her spine.

“I have to go,” she breathed, her heart pounding.

“I’ve just noticed that you have a birthmark behind your ear,” Leo whispered. “It looks like the constellation Theta Serpentis...”

He tenderly kissed her earlobe. Jemma closed her eyes with a sigh, her body burning.

“Otherwise known as Alya...” she said, feeling ready to succumb a second time.

She escaped from Fitz as his hand slid towards her belly. She took a deep breath.

Fitz gave her a grumpy look.

“I can't afford to cross the horizon with you again,” she said, getting dressed. “I really have to go or Peggy is going to look for me.”

“I feel like a teenager who has to hide his love for his girlfriend.”

“Quite that,” she said, putting on her pants. “But look on the bright side: we're adults.”

“And what's the difference?” he growled, playing with his duvet, grumpy.

“An adult has no parental authority at night,” she replied with a smirk.

She leaned over to him and kissed his cheek. He missed his gesture of catching her in his arms and she could not help sneering.

“No! And get up, groundhog. You should be at work by now.”

“The Director likes me; I allow myself to be absent.”

“Only in private,” Jemma said with a pout. “Don't forget, if we meet at HYDRA...”

“I'm just a scoundrel in a lab, I know.”

She gave him a sad look.

“Fitz...”

“It's ok,” he sighed as he woke up. “I understand your plan. It's just that I want to tell the whole universe that I'm in love with you and...”

He paused; his gaze lowered.

“And what?”

“I'm yours.”

Jemma returned a smile, then went around the bed and approached him. She put her hands on his torso, caressing his bare skin before cupping his face in her hands.

“You're mine, it's true. Just give us a little time.”

Fitz nodded, then turned to get dressed. With a mischievous sigh, Jemma ogled the protruding muscles of his back, the curve of his kidneys and his small round butt that she adored.

“What a view!” she chuckled. “I'm on my way. I love you!”

“I love you... too.”

But Jemma had already left. Leo's gaze fell upon his messy room. He had to put his apartment to rights before he went back to work.

* * *

Jemma was sitting at her desk when Peggy entered, a list of names in her hands.

“We have inhuman positive cases at HYDRA,” she said.

Jemma raised her head quickly, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Who?!”

Peggy handed her the document. Jemma quickly looked through it. Most of the HYDRA agents on this list were unknown to her, and for the first time, Jemma realized that she knew very little about her organization. Her eyes went across the second page and her heart missed a beat.

Skye Johnson.

Skye was an Inhuman. Jemma remained fixed on the name of the agent she had known for years. She and Skye were not close friends, but they had often met for a drink before Jemma became Madame HYDRA. She and Jemma had met when Jemma was still a scientist for HYDRA. Skye had been the first to know about Jemma's relationship with William as she had caught them one night in a bar. Skye had promised not to say anything and Jemma had always been able to count on her silence, loyalty, and work.

Until now. Now things were going to change. Since Skye was an Inhuman. Skye was a danger. An enemy to shoot down.

“We need to put them together,” Peggy said. “Then Radcliffe will examine them on the machine.”

“Dr. Fitz will take care of it,” Jemma said, raising her head towards her.

Peggy glanced at her.

“I think we've had this conversation before.”

“That's right, but Dr. Fitz created this machine, he knows it better than anyone, and I don't want Radcliffe to ruin it. Should I remind you of his failure with AGNES?”

Peggy smiled before approaching Jemma.

“You seem to be making things complicated, Jemmie.”

“They won’t be, if we do it right.”

Jemma stood up, the list of Inhumans in her hands.

“I'm going to tell Agents Morse and Hunter to round up the Inhumans.”

She went to leave the room when Peggy stopped her with her hand. 

“And at the same time, you'll give Dr. Fitz his test.”

Jemma turned to her to support her gaze.

“And you'll show me the results immediately,” Peggy continued.

Jemma wanted to tell her that she had complete trust in Fitz and that she was more than certain that he was not an Inhuman, but Peggy wouldn't allow anything until she got what she wanted. She hoped deep down that Fitz would not resent her.

“All right,” Jemma said, leaving the room.


	18. Chapter 18

Jemma entered the small laboratory where Fitz was working on the preparation of anti-Inhuman tests. He turned his back on her, but she had noticed his look when he saw who was coming in. He acted the way he had been told and kept the discretion she had asked him to respect, but she herself was ready to break it.

Which she did.

Closing the door behind her, she approached him and put her hands on his back. Fitz reacted instantly, raising his head.

“I thought we had to act like strangers here?”

“It's really very hard for me to pretend,” she said, passing her hands around his waist. “I can't resist you.”

She saw Fitz smile and he put his hands on hers. Fire and ice met.

“I have to ask you something,” Jemma sighed, putting her head on Fitz's back.

She felt him got tense, stop smiling.

“It’s my grandmother who demands it,” she felt compelled to specify.

“Let me guess, she wants my test?”

She tightened her arms around him.

“I'm sorry. If it were just me, I wouldn't even ask you to do it.”

Leo knew that perfectly well. Jemma, like him, was certain that he was not a positive case. It was evidence that required no proof. But there was Peggy, the old harpy, and without the test, she would make life impossible for Jemma and Fitz.

“I'm going to do it,” Fitz said, turning to her. “Even though I hate needles.”

Jemma plunged her gaze into his and kissed the tip of his nose.

“We're going to do it together,” Jemma said with a smile.

Fitz nodded, but sighed. Turning his head, he grabbed a test which he handed to Jemma.

“Don't be too violent,” he said with a little smile. “These fingers are used to caress your skin.”

Jemma laughed, then she tore the protective paper and grabbed Fitz's index finger. She pressed the end of the box to pinch Fitz's finger, and when she released, Leo felt the little needle sting his finger slightly. The other end of the box turned red.

“If it turns blue, you'll have to kill me,” Leo joked a little nervously.

Jemma's heart missed a beat. They'd have the result in about 10 minutes.

“I'm going to do it too,” Jemma said suddenly.

Leo glanced at her in confusion, and after watching Jemma at length, he picked up another a test.

“Be a gentleman,” Jemma joked.

“I think I can do that,” Leo said, grabbing Jemma's finger.

He did exactly the same thing as Jemma had a minute earlier. The needle stung; the blood was recovered in the test. All what they had to do was wait.

Suddenly, someone screamed and a gunshot rang out. Leo and Jemma glanced at each other. Leo threw the tests on the table and rushed to the door to open it, keeping Jemma well behind him to protect her.

Outside, HYDRA officers and staff were running in all directions. Jemma stopped one by the sleeve.

“What the hell is going on?”

“An Inhuman”, the man answered. “She's completely out of control! She's attacking us!”

“What do you mean by that?” Leo asked. “No Inhuman is active here!”

“She completely sent him flying into the wall!” the man yelled. “I don't want to stay here!”

Then he ran like a rabbit. Jemma glanced at Fitz quickly and then rushed to the problem. More gunshots crackled, Leo caught up with Jemma by the arm and forced her to stay with him.

“Be careful,” he said.

Suddenly, someone was thrown on the ground right in front of them with a huge crash. Jemma and Leo recognized Agent Ward, his face bloodied. He got up painfully.

“What's going on, Ward?” Jemma asked.

“Skye”, Ward answered, mad. “She's an Inhuman.”

Jemma glanced anxiously at Fitz. A window broke, gunshots redoubled. Someone yelled, "She's escaping!"

“Something else,” Ward said. “Melinda May. She helped Skye escape by using the Terrigene on her and another woman. A Colombian woman.”

“Find them!” Jemma ordered, furious. “I want you to bring them back to me right now!”

“With pleasure!” 

Ward disappeared into the crowd; Leo pulled Jemma towards him.

“We have to be careful,” he said. “The Inhuman is in the wild and who knows what it can do now. We have to control the others. I'm going to order the soldiers to shoot them immediately.”

“Don't!” Jemma refused. “I want the project to continue. We're catching them.”

Leo glanced at her and then nodded.

“All right,” he approved, “but first, I want you safe. We're going to go back to the lab and get a gun and I'll take you back to your office. You won't open the door to anyone until the situation is under control, understand?”

Jemma nodded and rushed down the corridor to return to the lab. When they entered, Peggy was there, observing the results of two tests.

“Peggy, the situation is out of control,” Jemma said. “We have an Inhuman that has escaped and an Agent who forces positive cases to transform.”

Peggy turned to them, a black look on her face, and then a shot rang. Suddenly, Leo felt an electric shock paralyze his body. Then he collapsed on the ground. Jemma turned to Peggy in shock.

“What's wrong with you, you bitch?!”

“Your lover is an Inhuman!”

“What?!”

Jemma's eyes went from Peggy, the positive test in her hand, back to Fitz. Her blood froze. She thought the world was falling apart. Fitz... Fitz an Inhuman... It was impossible. Not him. _Not him!_

“No...” she murmured, breathless.

“We have to get rid of it, right now!”

Jemma glanced vaguely at Peggy, unable to believe that Fitz could be Inhuman. Her heart was banging in her chest and in her ears, her body was beginning to tremble.

Peggy approached, and forced her to wake up from her torpor, putting the positive test result in her hands. Then she turned to the cupboards. She needed something to tie Fitz up.

Jemma's gaze fell on the positive test. The blue color at the end of the test gave her irrefutable proof that Fitz was Inhuman. The love of her life was her greatest enemy...

“That's impossible...” she murmured. “It's impossible...”

Peggy was searching the cupboards... Jemma was looking at Leo, unconscious on the floor. His face was serene, she felt like he was sleeping like a little baby. How could he be an Inhuman? A dangerous creature that she hated for years and dreamed of destroying forever? How could she destroy the man she loved? How could she kill the love of her life?

“Don't stand there!” Peggy said, annoyed. “Help me find something to tie him up. It will be less difficult to kill him if he does not move!”

Jemma looked up at Peggy, her heart pounding like a madman. She couldn't kill Fitz. She could not kill the man she loved even if... even if he was Inhuman.

“No,” Jemma said as she approached her, voluntarily placing herself between Fitz and Peggy.

“I beg your pardon?” Peggy asked, stopping her gesture. “We have to stop him before...”

Suddenly, Fitz growled. Jemma turned to him, her heart pounding. His haggard eyes opened on Jemma. He glanced at her confusedly and grimaced, holding his neck.

“Jemma...”

“Don't move, you, abomination!” Peggy yelled as she rushed to the table to grab the ICER.

Jemma was still looking at Fitz.

“You have... You shot me...”

“They should have been real bullets!” Peggy said as she picked up the ICER. She pointed the weapon again at Leo, ready to shoot. “But I heard that if the dose of dendrotoxin is very high, the heart could stop beating...”

Jemma's blood turned cold. She turned briskly to Peggy.

“You won't touch him.”

“Jemma!” Peggy exclaimed, surprised. “He's an Inhuman! We have to kill him!”

“What?!” Leo exclaimed, confused, and stunned. “What are you saying? I'm not an Inhuman!”

“The test is positive!” Peggy retorted, pointing her gun at him and Jemma.

Leo froze, incredulous. He couldn't believe he was an Inhuman. This test was a fake. He couldn't be one of them. Then he thought of something and his gaze fell on Jemma. She had done the test, too. What if it was her rather than him?

“We can’t let this abomination live!” Peggy said. “Jemmie, pull yourself together.”

“No.”

“Jemma!”

“I love him...”

“He's the same as that woman who killed your parents! Get your revenge!”

Jemma shuddered. Her decision was made.

“I don't care if he's an Inhuman,” she said. “I love him, Grandma. I love this man. He makes me happy. I have never been happy since my parents died.”

Fitz glanced at Jemma. His heart twisted with happiness, although he no longer knew what to believe, what to do. He or Jemma was an Inhuman. But the best part now was that Jemma didn't care that he was one of them. She loved him! 

“Don't say anything! He must be killed!”

“I forbid you to touch him,” Jemma replied coldly, her face threatening. “Put that gun down right now.”

Peggy hesitated but shook her head and pointed her gun at Fitz and Simmons.

“Since you don't want to listen to anything, I'm going to have to arrest you both. I'm sorry, Jemma, but there's no way I'm going to let this happen to HYDRA.”

Jemma gave her a burning look, full of anger. HYDRA. Only HYDRA mattered to her. Not even Jemma's happiness. Her joy. Peggy rejected her exactly as she had rejected her daughter's happiness when she fell in love with her father.

Nothing else counted in Peggy's eyes but fame, power, success. Nothing but HYDRA.

“HYDRA,” Jemma repeated, acerbic. “Obviously. Nothing matters to you more than HYDRA. That's nothing new!”

“Peggy,” Leo tried to calm her by taking a step forward. “Jemma is the only thing you have left. Don't you want her to be happy? See her rise? Don't make the same mistakes you made with your daughter.”

Peggy gave him a look. Her face was twisted by anger.

“Don't talk about my daughter!” Peggy yelled. “I forbid you!”

Jemma, angry herself, tried to say something. Fitz held her by the arm and stood in front of her. 

“Listen to me, Peggy. You're smart, you kept HYDRA alive, you passed on your professional heritage to your granddaughter. Maybe it's time to pass on your family heritage to her. Do what you were never able to do with Elizabeth.”

“Don't talk about my daughter!” Peggy shouted.

“Give her a chance,” Fitz continued. “Jemma is the most beautiful thing you and your daughter have created. Look. Look at what you've created and forged, Peggy. The power. Strength. Beauty. Jemma has everything.”

Peggy's gaze crossed Jemma's. A strange gleam blazed in her black eyes. Although Jemma was certain that Fitz would not be able to convince Peggy, she hoped in her heart, that Peggy would change her mind. She was still threatening Fitz with her gun and if she fired her bullets, he wouldn't survive. And it was out of the question for Jemma to lose Fitz. It didn’t matter if he was an Inhuman now.

“Peggy,” Jemma begged. “Don't destroy everything... Please. I love Fitz as much as you loved Steve...”

Peggy's gaze changed in a flash. Her eyes filled with tears and her hands trembled slightly. She seemed to think for a moment before lowering her weapon gently. Jemma and Peggy looked at each other for a few seconds.

“Oh, Jemmie...”

Jemma was about to say something to her when a violent explosion rang out in the hallway, cutting apart everything around them. The explosion struck Jemma and Leo, who were near the walls and the door. Peggy was also sent back, hitting the window containing samples of Terrigene crystals that fell to the ground and scattered across the room.

A light mist began to spread through the room. Jemma had just enough time to catch a glimpse of Peggy get caught in the mist and start screaming. Her body turned into a cocoon of rock. Her arm, her leg, the left side of her head, before being totally frozen.

Jemma barely had time to hiccup in terror as the mist was already attacking her. She saw her hand transform, the rock slowly rising towards her wrist.

“Jemma!” Fitz yelled, distraught.

“Get out of here!” she ordered him. “Right away!”

Fitz threw himself at her, hugged her like he had never done. The rock continued on Jemma's body, and the mist slowly began to attack Leo.

“Please, leave!” Jemma begged.

“I won’t never lose you! Understand? I can’t lose you,” Fitz said. “I don't want to lose you!”

Jemma clung to him as she could. The rock froze her against Fitz, entwined against her body. Fitz's legs were paralyzed by the rock, which in turn climbed towards the rest of his body. He took Jemma's face in his hands.

“I love you, Fitz. I love you more than anything in this universe.”

“Don't leave me! Please, Jemma! Don't leave me!”

Jemma gave him a smile, a beautiful smile. Their two bodies were frozen together in the rock as one.

“Say it,” Jemma whispered, grimacing of pain. “I want to hear you say it one last time.”

“I love you,” he murmured in a breath, tears in eyes.

A tear poured down Jemma's cheek, Leo had just enough time to see her smile, and then the rock enveloped them both completely.

Jemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz were one. Frozen together in a cocoon of extraterrestrial rock. United in life and in death. In space and time.

Two soul mates, which even the universe could not separate.

Two soul mates, whose hearts beat in unison under the rock, would never cease to love each other. Ever.


	19. EPILOGUE

**SIX MONTH LATER.**

Ophelia Radcliff entered the office and sat in front of the desk, waiting impatiently. What great news. Her father had accepted her resume and put her at the list of the new recruits. She couldn’t wait to start her work here- if she was accepted, of course. But something let her know she would soon be a part of this team. After all, she had lots of amazing skills to share with them. Especially with one of them in particular. She couldn’t wait to meet him. She had already seen him a lot of times before but had never been officially introduced. Now it was possible, she would not miss this opportunity. Doctor Leopold Fitz was her target. And she was ready to do anything to get him in all the ways possible.

Someone entered the office and she already knew who it was. A smiled appeared on her lips.

“Hello, Doctor Fitz.”

Leo walked to her, gave her a look.

She stood up, held out her hand for him to shake. She smiled back at him with her most charming smile.

“I am delighted to finally meet you.”

“Finally? You know me?”

“Obviously. Your brilliant meetings about the Inhumans have left a deep impression on me. It was time for HYDRA to have a man as smart and powerful as you are.”

Leo gave her an impassible look, even if inside he appreciated that someone else liked his job. He couldn't help but look at her deeply. She was pretty, with her beautiful green eyes and long black hair, but not enough to catch his heart as another woman had before. She had a charm that didn't leave men indifferent, so she could have whatever she wanted just with a few flatteries.

“Why are you here?” Leo asked, passing behind the desk.

“I offer you new technology.”

“What do you mean? We are quite happy with our own.”

“I know your work, Dr Fitz. But what I have to offer you is something that you have never worked on before.”

Leo smirked back at her, put his hands on his hips. Ophelia did not hesitate to ogle him. He had so much charisma.

“There is only one small area that I haven't worked on yet.”

“I know, Doctor, and that's why I suggest you work on LMDs.”

“LMDs?”

“Life Model Decoy. Or more precisely, androids.”

“There's not much more we can do with machines, Miss Radcliffe. I guess your father told you that before.”

“My father, in fact, is a specialist. He taught robotics and cybernetics before being rejected for his projects. If he refuses to take up these futuristic ideas, I will not deprive myself of it.”

She gave Leo a victorious smile.

“And I want to work on these projects with you, Doctor.”

Leo glanced at her, considering her request. The idea was interesting to be honest, but HYDRA already had so much to do with SHIELD and Inhumans...

“I know what you're thinking, Dr Fitz, and I feel you. But I can assure you that my idea will make HYDRA the pet peeve of SHIELD and its little pets. Besides, what can Inhumans do against indestructible robots?”

Leo watched her for a long time, silent, then a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“I see. I like it.”

“I'm sure of it,” Ophelia replied. “You will find all the steps to my project in this file.”

She pointed to the file on the desk.

“It's an ambitious project and I have to think about it before granting you a position here.”

“I will be patient,” Ophelia replied with a big smile. “Please, do not hesitate to contact me again if you want more information on the project. I just moved to town.”

Leo nodded, a smile on his lips. Suddenly, the office door opened.

Madame HYDRA entered, in her black suit, a stack of documents in hand. She noticed the young woman first, then Leo.

“Can I know find out what's going on here?”

Leo's eyes twinkled, his heart racing like every time she appeared in his life.

“This is Ophelia Radcliffe,” Leo said, approaching. “She has a new project for us.”

“I guess Ophelia has already had my answer about this project.”

Leo turned to the young woman, then to Madame HYDRA.

“I was just coming to offer it to you again,” Ophelia replied with a fake smile. “With what's going on between SHIELD and the Inhumans, a project like this could do a lot for HYDRA.”

“We don't need this project, thank you, Ophelia.”

Jemma walked over to her office, ignoring the young woman whose smile had just faded. As she passed behind Leo, she quickly brushed his back with her hand, which did not escape Ophelia’s notice.

“Fine,” she said, turning to Leo with a tight smile. “Thanks for having me, Dr Fitz.”

She approached him a second time to shake his hand.

“Hope to see you again, Leopold.”

Jemma looked up at her. What was happening before her, Ophelia smiling with all her charm, her hand in Leo’s, disturbed her.

“Leo, we still have a lot of work to do,” Jemma said harshly.

Leo nodded, withdrew his hand, and went to open the door. Ophelia half turned to Jemma who was staring at her. Then with a smile, she left the office, without failing to give Leo a charming smile.

Leo closed the door behind her, without a word, and flattened his hand over his hair.

“Looks like your eyes go somewhere else.”

Jemma lifted her head, observed Fitz with the quintessentially British look that Fitz knew well.

“I think I said yes to your proposal,” Leo replied, hands on his hips.

“Who knows? You could quickly change your mind. After all, I am an abomination.”

Leo shook his head as Jemma turned her back to him. He walked over to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.

“Babe, you saved my life that day. Without you, I would not have survived the Terrigen mist. Your power is my right to live. For nothing in the world, I would abandon you. Inhuman or not.”

Jemma sighed, closing her eyes, savoring the warmth and Fitz's words. The last few months had not been easy for them but thanks to him, Jemma was able to overcome the problem. The fact that she was an Inhuman now changed everything. But Fitz was still there, protecting her, loving her, and that was the only thing that mattered to her.

“I love you,” Fitz breathed into the back of her neck. “And I look forward to marrying you Mrs. FitzSimmons.”

Jemma smiled, turned to him, wrapping her hands around his neck.

“What would I do without you?”

Fitz returned her a seductive smile.

“How about a candlelight dinner tonight?” he asked.

“My romantic fiancé,” Jemma whispered before kissing him passionately.

Fitz pulled back, stunned by her kiss.

“You drive me crazy...”

“And I didn't even use my power,” Jemma sneered.

Fitz kissed her forehead.

“We have to go back to work. SHIELD doesn't wait.”

“I know. This Coulson is planning more attacks... We have to recruit more Inhumans if we are to win this war.”

Leo was silent long enough for Jemma to notice.

“I know this silence,” she said. “What are you thinking about?”

“This project... LMD.”

“Leo…” she warned him.

“It could be interesting. And allow us to win this war. Jemma, listen. The idea is not bad, even revolutionary. With remotely controlled machines, we can have an advantage over SHIELD and the Inhumans. Jemma, think about it. We could fix this together with this alone.”

Jemma looked at him for a long time. She really didn't want Ophelia to come to work here because of their respective past. But Fitz was right. With a project as powerful as LMDs, HYDRA might have a way to win the war.

“I'll think about it,” she said. “I have to take care of other things first.”

“Alright, keep me posted.”

He was about to leave when Jemma grabbed his arm. A mischievous smile played on her lips.

“I have a little time before calling my contact.”

“You don't want to prevent me from going to work, Madame HYDRA?”

“I'm not Madame HYDRA now,” she said, pulling him with her to the sofa. “I am your fiancée.”

“Oh, does that change a lot of things?” he replied as she pushed him onto the sofa.

“Absolutely,” Jemma hissed, sitting up on his legs with a smirk. “Show me how much you love me, monkey man.”

Fitz smiled back at her, then he wrapped his arms around her, and showed her how much he loved her.

The Doctor or Madam HYDRA. Leo and Jemma. FitzSimmons. Together, they proved to each other that nothing could separate them and how unstoppable they were together.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thanks to the few people who read my story from start to the end. I know it is not the best that you have read but I enjoyed writing it. It was something I wanted to do for a long time and now it's done. So thank you to all you! <3
> 
> However, as you can notice, this epilogue opens with the possibility of a new story of "Madame HYDRA". I had in the idea of writing it and posting it here too, but... because there is a BIG but, I would not do it because of the few reactions I received on Madame HYDRA. If I summarize this, I only have one person who read it entirely and gave me her opinion before I posted this story, only one other unique person who commented on this story from the start, and two or three who came to my Instagram to give me their opinion. I have had no feedback from the "others" if there were here. I certainly received "24" kudos and "639" hits (but only from the same people unfortunately...), but this is much too low considering the amount of time I spent on this first story (to write it down and translate it). I'm not going to start over for so few reaction and motivation. Your opinions are my motivation: and to receive just two or three (mostly from my friends, which obviously does not count) is not a motivation, it's a smile on my face that goes with it my motivation.
> 
> I understand that the story may not be liked, obviously, but spending so much of my free time on it and not receiving anything in return is demotivating. So yeah, many won't agree with me, but that's how I operate. So MADAME HYDRA stops here. Thanks again to those who read it to the end and see you soon for more stories. Elodie :)


End file.
